Big hitter: TJ Gavlik - HKIS Alumni Home

DRAGON
Celebrating the past, present and future of HKIS
Big hitter:
HKIS to the Sunshine State
and back.
Bob Christian Award
winner announced
We catch up with
T.J. Gavlik
Meet the Class of 2011
Alumni reunions
Rwanda: HKIS service shines
Faculty Updates
Homecoming 2012 dates revealed
Summer 2011
letters
Dear HKIS Alumni
Welcome!
David (D.J.) J. Condon
Rohini Chotirmal
H
A
KIS first opened the doors in Repulse
Bay to 630 multi-national, multi-faith
students in September 1967. Some of you are
no doubt part of that historic class. All of you
are part of the alumni family.
My connection came a little bit later. In 1983,
I arrived to spend a year at Chinese University with the goal to improve my
Mandarin. Little did I know I
was embarking on a journey that
would bring me back to Hong
Kong, and HKIS, 25-years later.
The Class of 1983 was 77 seniors
strong and the total student body
was 1,392. In the 28 intervening
years, 4,122 students graduated
and many more thousands attended HKIS.
HKIS educated over 2,600 students from over
40 countries this past year, with 190 seniors
graduating – two-and-a-half times as in 1983!
During my three years at HKIS I have personally had the privilege to witness 552 students
graduate and join the alumni family.
This year, I had the happy pleasure of presenting the Bob Christian Alumna of the Year
Award to Leontine Chuang, Class of 1993. Leontine attended HKIS from R2 through Grade
12 and, as you will learn on page 30, she truly
does exemplify HKIS’ Mission and SLRs.
Like Leontine, I encourage you to get with the
school. The alumni portal alumni.hkis.edu.hk
is an incredible resource, and a great way to
reconnect with your fellow alumni.
This year marks my last as Head of School at
HKIS. I feel deep pride in my connection with
the school, its students and parents, and with
you, my fellow alumni. I wish you much success and joy, and I urge you to reflect on the
impact that HKIS had on your life. I know it
has had a profound effect on mine.
s excitement built up on the HKIS campus
at the end of the school year, I reflect back
on my graduation 22 years ago!
Senior breakfast at the American Club, signing yearbooks in what is now the UP hallways,
graduation T-shirts and plans of how we would
keep in touch since we didn’t have email, Facebook, the internet or cell phones
back then. How things have
changed...
With technology at its best, we
have more ways to communicate
than we know how to keep up.
And that includes the launch of
the new Alumni website earlier
this spring. The HKIS Alumni
office has been hard at work in revamping our
site, so please take some time to look through
it, read past issues of DragonTales, reconnect
with lost friends and maybe take a second or
two to update your personal records.
As always, the HKIS community came together in various fundraising efforts towards
the Japanese Red Cross Society after the devastation of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. With collection boxes
in all four schools and the folding of hundreds
of paper cranes in the classrooms, the community raise over HK$442,000, making HKIS
one of the biggest Hong Kong supporters of
the relief effort. Thank you to all alumni who
donated.
As we enjoy the summer break, our alumni
network will have grown with the graduation
of the class of 2011. Not only do I welcome
the 190 graduates to our Alumni Association,
but I look forward to reading about your
stories and experiences in upcoming issues of
DragonTales.
Stay connected and get involved!
Go Dragons!
Cheers,
David J. Condon
Head of School
Rohini Chotirmal ’89
President, Alumni Association
Contents
2
Letters from our leaders
n News from Head of School and
coming back to HKIS
4
HKIS News
n All the latest happenings from, in, and around
the HKIS community
10
n We catch up with Emily Ma Richardson ’93
as she remembers her inspirational times at
HKIS and the desire to give back to HKIS
11
n Our winter warmer was one to remember –
who can you remember from this gathering
14
n It’s full-circle for T.J Gavlik ’08 as he keeps on
returning to HKIS
New alumni website
18
n We’ve created a special website, just for you
– find out more, here
Decade Luncheons
19
n Three decades, three lunches, many memories
Class of 2011
Reunion: Class of 2000
26
n Happy times in Hong Kong are reenacted in
Lan Kwai Fong
Alumni Challenge – Special
Big hitters
24
n Meet four Alums meeting the challenge of
Alumni Association President
Homecoming 2011
Alumni Challenge
22
n Meet the newest additions to the Alumni family
Reunion: News on coming
events
28
n Is there a reunion happening near you?
Au revoir, D.J.
29
n We salute our outgoing Head of School,
David J. Condon
Bob Christian Award
30
n Please be upstanding as we introduce you to
this year’s winner...
ClassNotes
33
n In Memoriam n Faculty Update
n ClassNotes
Annual Fund
41
n Do you want to give back to HKIS?
Homecoming 2012
44
n Do you have this marked in your diary yet?
S u m m e r 2011
C e l e b r ati n g th e p a s t,
p re s e nt a n d f u tu re of H K I S
Editor
Jon Walsh
DragonTales is a product of
the HKIS Advancement team:
Chief Advancement Officer
Erik Dierks
Contributors
Erik Dierks
Alumni Coordinator
Irene Loh
Emily Ma Richardson ’93 Irene Loh
Jon Walsh
Administrative Assistant
Prudence Ng
Thank you
The Gavlik family
Leontine Chuang ’93
D. J. Condon
HKIS Alumni Board:
President
Rohini Chotirmal ’89
Vice-President
Joyce Yin ’89
Communications and
Publications Manager
Jon Walsh
Members
Lincoln Chan ’88
Spencer Chiu ’93
Justin Hardman ’99
Natasha Khan ’03
Kenneth Rohrs (faculty)
Development Coordinator
Kathy Wong
E-Board member
David Kohl (former faculty)
Design and print
Impressions Design & Print Ltd.
Advisors
Robert Dorfman ’72
Kenneth Koo ’79
Get in touch!
Alumni matters
Contact Irene Loh via [email protected]
Stories or news for DragonTales
Contact Jon Walsh via [email protected]
Giving
Erik Dierks via [email protected]
Keep in touch!
Follow us on Twitter via @HKIS
hkis news
DragonNews
Alumni author finds illustrator
at HKIS
S
ince Derek Kwik ’86 launched his motivational book, ‘Kwik
Fix’ in 2009, he has been considering his next publication,
which we can tell you will be a children’s book.
Derek takes up the story: “My children’s book project has been 18
months of researching children’s books, talking to parents and
pulling inspiration from my favorite childhood books: ‘The Adventures of Tintin’, ‘Le Petit Prince’ and ‘Where The Wild Things
Are’. Parallel to this, I have always wanted to find a meaningful
project for the Alumni to work with HKIS students.”
Derek, Isabel and some sketches by Isabel that are being prepared for
the book
Derek decided to ‘draw’ on the talent at HKIS to look for a suitable illustrator for the book. After a tough selection process of
exceptionally gifted art students, Derek chose to work with Isabel
Chun ’14.
The book will be an adventure story, told through Isabel’s illustrations depicting a boy, his dog and their journeys across the harsh
terrains of the desert, ocean, jungle and mountains.
“The book aims to inspire kids about exploration, the value of
friendship, caring for others and that there is only One Earth.
And, just like my last book, the proceeds will, go to my charity
of choice, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(SPCA),” adds Derek.
DragonTales will be sure to keep you updated on this exciting
collaboration and we’ll let you know as soon as the book is on
the shelves.
HKIS Booster Club has a record year
I
t was a vintage year for the HKIS Booster Club as they allocated
over HK$876,623 (US$112,650, GBP69,900) across the whole of
the school to support a wide range of school activities.
Funding requests from students and faculty were evaluated and
checks written to support extra-curricular activities, athletics and
service clubs as well as assisting with the establishment of new
activity groups.
The largest donations were to the High School Athletics department for new electronic scoreboards, as well as weights and equipment for the weights room. But it’s not all High School funding as
4
DragonTales
Lower and Upper Primary felt the benefit of the funding, too, with
Lower Primary receiving checks for the start up of their green
club and Upper Primary receiving enough money to buy 80 pairs
of in-line roller skates.
This is in addition to the great work the Booster Club does on a
daily basis, keeping the sports events tasty with their oranges,
popping hundreds of bags of popcorn on special occasions and
keeping the HKIS Dragon Shop at the center of the community.
Do you have any Booster Club memories? Get in touch and share
your warm and fuzzy moments of yesteryear.
The colors of nations, celebrated at Lower Primary, Repulse Bay
International Day at Lower Primary
T
he mix of nationalities at HKIS continues to evolve and with
it, the celebration of nations. Although HKIS may be teaching
an American-style education, around 45 per cent of the student
population originates from outside of the US. So when Lower
Primary celebrates International Day, you can be sure of a multinational display of color and culture.
Part of Global Arts Week, the day is celebrated mid-May each year
and provides a chance for students to dress up to represent their
nations and learn about cultures and countries.
One of the highlights of the day was the ‘African Drumming and
Dance Connection’, who bring together the rhythms of Senegal
to entertain and educate students. That said, they didn’t actually
come all the way from Africa for the event... they’re based on
Lamma Island, near Hong Kong.
Other highlights included a troupe of Irish dancers and a delicate
fan dance from the HKIS Korean community. Plans are already
afoot to make it bigger and better for next year.
HKIS hits YouTube
W
hen the team at Upper Primary wanted something special
to cap off their celebrations for Book Week 2011, a FlashMob seemed like a novel choice. Little did they know it would
be such a huge success as everyone joined in to salute the joy of
reading. Their performance at Repulse Bay was captured on many
cameras and the edited video can be seen on the HKIS YouTube
channel: do take a look for yourself at www.youtube.com/HKISlive
Meanwhile, the image on the riright should give you an idea of
what you can expect...
Dancing to the delight of books
DragonTales
5
hkis news
All-in for Japan
W
hen an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March
11, the HKIS community was swift to respond and offer
support. After meeting with the HKIS Japanese community, the
school decided to channel efforts to supporting the Japanese Red
Cross Society (JRCS) which was swiftly on the ground in the hardest hit areas in the north of Japan.
As soon as the announcement was made to support JRCS, the
whole of HKIS reacted as one, putting fundraising efforts into
overdrive. The school dressed in red and white for the day to
show solidarity with Japan and, following a Japanese tradition,
hundreds of paper cranes were folded and sent to Japan. Unique
T-shirts were created and sold.
All told, over HK$440,000 (US$56,500, GBP35,300) was raised,
marking HKIS students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni as one
of the biggest givers in Hong Kong. Congratulations on generating
such a huge amount of support for a very worthy cause.
All-off for St. Baldrick’s
HKIS in the news
T
I
he students, parents and faculty of HKIS made a ‘bald’
statement in March as they shaved their heads in the annual St. Baldrick’s day celebration. Held on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, the event saw 137 people sponsored to have their
heads shaved with all the funds going to finding a cure for
children’s cancer.
Parent Richard Kligler, who has been at the center of St. Baldrick’s fundraising for some years, was as enthusiastic as ever
about the event: “We prefer to call it fun’raising!” before he
celebrated the grand total of HK$1,810,594 (US$233,000,
GBP143,350) raised.
St. Baldrick’s is a global effort to focus fundraising on childhood cancer – take a look at www.stbaldricks.org for more information. Mark March 2012 in your diary, there will certainly
be an event near you and all alums are welcome back to HKIS
for the big shave.
Middle School students show their colors
f you catch occasional copies of the South China Morning Post
you can’t have missed the coverage for HKIS early on in the
year. First, there was a photo and news on the students sacrificing
their hair for St. Baldrick’s and then a feature on the 2011 Interact
LEGACY fashion show, which raised money for SolarLEAP, the
project run by former Bob Christian Alumni of the Year Award
winner and HKIS alum Charles Watson ’09. This was followed up
by a front
page story in the
SCMP Young Post
featuring an interview with Charles
and his ongoing
projects.
If you missed them,
here are the snippets.
Articles
reproduced
courtesy of
SCMP
6
DragonTales
The award winning
Pat Klekamp and Bill
Leese
D
ragonTales would like to congratulate two stellar members of the HKIS
family: High School Principal, Patricia Klekamp and High School Religion teacher,
Bill Leese.
Principal Klekamp was awarded the prestigious Paul Lange Award at the Association
of Lutheran Secondary Schools (ALSS)
conference, which took place in March.
Originating in 1994, in honor of highly
respected educator Paul Lange, this award
“annually recognizes an administrator of
an ALSS school who has an exemplary
commitment to the educational ministry
of Lutheran high schools.” Pat is the first
ever female recipient.
Middle School Strings as their award winning event
Strings make prizes!
T
he Middle School Advanced Strings
took 3rd place overall in the recent
National Festival Orchestra Competition.
Taking place in Kansas City, Missouri, between March 15-20 this year, the competition is hosted by the American Strings
Teachers Association. As well as the high
placing, the Strings were also graded at
‘Excellent Level’.
In addition to the competition, students visited a factory to learn how string instruments are made, step by step. They also attended instrumental master classes, group
clinics and workshops hosted by well-known musical clinicians from around the
United State.
Congratulations to all who took part under the guidance of MS Strings Teacher,
Rondecca Kam.
Congratulations, Middle School Strings.
Pat is in good company with this award:
in the inaugural year the award was presented to former HKIS Head of School,
Bob Christian. Another previous winner of the award is incoming Head of
School, Kevin Dunning.
Pat Klekamp and Bill Leese receiving their
awards from Dr. Laabs, who presented it to
Pat on behalf of the ALSS while he was in
Hong Kong
Bill Leese was recently selected as the
Outstanding Secondary School Teacher
of the Year by the Lutheran Education
Association (LEA). Another success for
HKIS as Donna Koehneke also received
the award a couple of years ago.
Bill collected his award from the LEA
conference in Cincinnati, Ohio and received a surprise visit from Dr Jonathan
Laabs from the LES who presented the
award to Bill at a High School faculty
event.
Kevin Dunning back
at HKIS
I
ncoming Head of School, Kevin Dunning, was in Hong Kong in late March
for a series of hand-over meetings and to
spend time with the HKIS community.
He will return again in July to take up his
position and for a more detailed handover with David J. Condon, who leaves
HKIS over the summer to go to Kobe,
Japan. Both D.J. and Kevin will be APAC
Heads so will be in constant touch with
each other.
Do take time to read the farewell to D.J.
Condon on page 29.
Congratulations to Pat and Bill for such
outstanding achievements.
DragonTales
7
hkis news
Changes within the Board of
Managers
I
t’s been a busy time within the HKIS Board of Managers. Here’s
a quick summary of the changes:
The Middle School band strikes up
Middle School Band stars at
Sevens
F
ast becoming a tradition, the Middle School Band ramped
up the festival atmosphere with some rousing tunes for the
visitors to the 2011 Hong Kong Sevens in Causeway Bay this
March.
Reeling off a wide range of tunes, the band played on and enjoyed a crunching tournament, which saw New Zealand beat
England in the final.
Abbi DeLessio has moved from Vice-Chair to Chair, taking over
from Doug Werth who has moved to Lausanne, Switzerland.
Eugene Choung has taken on the role of Vice-Chair. Max Lummis retired from the Board in December 2010 after 5 years of
dedicated service.
Also retired from the Board are John Ying and Yvette Fung with
a total of 14 years service between them.
John and wife Lisa are parents of HKIS alumni Jay and Katie. John
served on the Board for nine years and was Chair of the Finance,
Investment and Finance & Facilities Committees.
Yvette and husband Carl are parents of Camille, an HKIS alumna. During Yvette’s served on the Committee on Trustees, Investment, Legal Affairs and Finance Committees. Yvette completed
her Board service as chair of the Finance Committee.
Current Board member Jamie O’Donnell has become Chair of
the Finance Committee.
We are also pleased to pass on that Mary Lamb has joined the
Board. Along with husband David, Mary has three children: Eneka (’10, now at Duke) Alicia (’13) and John (’15). Mary also takes
up the role of Chair of the Advancement Committee.
DragonTales thanks all Board members, past and present, for
their dedication to HKIS and for sharing their expertise for the
good of HKIS and the community it serves.
The current HKIS Board of Managers
8
DragonTales
2010-2011 Sports Results
HKIS sports teams had a vintage year, so in one bite-sized chunk, here are the results
as the athletes from across HKIS served up several large portions of competitive spirit,
measured aggression and fast-twitch skill. GO DRAGONS!
Badminton
Soccer
U14 Boys – 5th ISSFHK
U14 Girls – 3rd ISSFHK
U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup
U16 Girls – 4th ISSFHK, 1st China Cup
U20 Boys – 3rd ISSFHK, 1st China Cup, 1st APAC
U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup, 2nd APAC
U14 Girls – 1st place ISSFHK
U14 Boys – 3rd place ISSFHK
U16 Girls – 2nd ISSFHK, 1st China Cup
U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup
U20 Girls – 2nd Women’s League, 1st China Cup, 3rd APAC
U20 Boys – 3rd ISSFHK, 5th HKSSF, 3rd, China Cup, 5th APAC
Baseball
Softball
Varsity – 1st China Cup, 1st APAC, 1st HKIS Invitational
JR Varsity – 1st China Cup, 1st HKIS Invitational
Varsity – 2nd ISSFHK Boys League, 2nd China Cup, 1st APAC
JR Varsity – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup
Basketball
U14 Boys – 4th ISSFHK
U14 Girls – 1st ISSFHK
U16 Boys – 4th ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup
U16 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup
U20 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup
U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup, Far East 5th
Cross Country
U14 Boys and Girls – 2nd place ISSFHK
U16 Boys – 3rd place ISSFHK
U16 Girls – 2nd ISSFHK
U20 Boys and Girls – 1st place ISSFHK, 1st APAC, 3rd Asia
Pacific Meet
Hockey
Senior Team – 8th HKSSF, Tourn – B Squad – 4th
Junior Team – 7th
Netball
Senior Team – HKSSF 5th
Junior Team – HKSSF 3rd
Rugby
A Grade Boys – 1st China Cup, 2nd APAC
A Grade Girls – 2nd China Cup, 2nd APAC
B Grade Boys – 4th China Cup
B Grade Girls – 3rd China Cup
Key:APAC – Asia Pacific Activities Conference
HKSSF – Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation
ISSFHK – International Schools’ Sports Federation Hong Kong
Swimming
U14 Boys – 1st ISSFHK
U14 Girls – 1st ISSFHK
U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup
U16 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup
U20 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup, 2nd APAC
U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup, 2nd APAC
Table Tennis
U20 Boys – 3rd China Cup, Boys Singles – 3rd
U20 Girls – 1st China Cup, Girls Singles – 2nd
Track and Field
U14 Boys – 2nd ISSFHK
U14 Girls – 2nd ISSFHK
U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK
U16 Girls – 1st ISSFHK
U20 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 5th APAC
U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd APAC
Girls 4 x 400m Relay
APAC records:
Alex Ott – 3,000m
Madeline Strandemo – 800m, 1,500m, 3,000m
Volleyball
U 14 Boys – 2nd ISSFHK
U14 Girls – 1st ISSFHK
U16 Boys – 1st ISSFHK, 4th China Cup
U16 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 1st China Cup
U20 Boys – 2nd ISSFHK, 4th China Cup, 5th APAC
U20 Girls – 1st ISSFHK, 2nd China Cup, 2nd APAC
DragonTales
9
alumni update
Alumni Challenge Special
We caught up with
Emily Ma Richardson ’93
as she remembers her
times at HKIS, inspirational
service trips and how
an appreciation of Asian
culture brought her back to
Hong Kong. Emily takes up
the story...
(Left to right) Ingrid (Wong) Yates ’92, Liz
(Longley) Komosa ’93, Michelle (Chang) Song
’93, Gene Song ’93, Emily Ma Richardson ’93,
Kate (Marshall) Huntington ’93), Lisa Ting ’93,
Angela (Lee) Sullivan ’93, Tiffany Yip ’93.
Left to right) Angela (Lee) Sullivan ’93, Tiffany
Yip ’93, Emily Ma Richardson ’93, Liam
Richardson, Lisa Ting ’93, Kate (Marshall)
Huntington ’93, Michelle (Chang) Song ’93,
Gene Song ’93
M
y closest friends are from HKIS.
Even though we went our separate
ways for college, we eventually reunited
– whether during my time in Washington DC or New York. What amazes me
is now I’m back in Hong Kong, I’m closer
to them more than ever. It was December
2010 when I married in London and was I
so touched by the number of HKIS friends
who flew from all corners of the world to
be by my side – a truly globetrotting group
of friends!
to travel to Taipei, Singapore and Japan,
representing HKIS. I’m not sure how Ms.
Duncan-Laird continually summoned the
energy to motivate and manage us all, but
she did, and we were the best hockey team
in Hong Kong during that time. Being part
of a team was invaluable experience and
this, coupled with having the opportunity
to travel to far-flung destinations in Asia,
instilled a sense of maturity, adventure
and camaraderie – strong foundations that
help me today.
I attended HKIS from the middle of Grade
6 until graduation and I have fond memories of many teachers: Mr. Larkin, who I
was fortunate enough to have for two years;
Mr. Ewing, who made reading the classics
so much more enjoyable; Mr. McCarthy,
whose classes involved being a former US
president for the day, and to Mr. Eichert,
whose biology class involved dissecting
animals that frequently made appearances
on top of the statue at the school entrance!
The teachers at HKIS had an amazing ability to brighten up the most challenging of
topics and went to extraordinary lengths to
engage students across a range of classes.
This dedication and encouragement gave
me such a solid background and prepared
me so well for college – it enabled me to
step up in the real world.
I enjoyed 12 years in the hotel industry
across the US and Asia, focusing on sales
and marketing. In 2010 I decided it was
time to leverage this experience and set
up my own company – Flaunt Boutique
(www.flaunt.hk), an online destination for
luxurious and unique lingerie.
What I also enjoyed about HKIS was that
education stretched from the classroom to
the great outdoors. What other school offers such enriching experiences, from skiing in Japan to hiking and rafting in Nepal
to meeting Mother Teresa in India? These
trips sparked an interest in Asian studies
and prompted me to spend a college semester studying in India and Nepal and
eventually move back to Asia.
I was a keen swimmer and member of the
field hockey team and was lucky enough
10 DragonTales
I had always talked about having my own
business and having returned to entrepreneurial Hong Kong I decided the time was
right. Since moving back to Hong Kong six
years ago, I have wanted to give back to
HKIS in some way, and now I know how I
can – I would love to mentor those who are
interested in starting their own business
by sharing my challenges and successes.
Eventually I would love to offer summer
internships opportunities for those interested in understanding the operations of
an online retail store.
My years at HKIS gave me the confidence
that anything is possible. It was the amazing teachers, the multi-cultural students
and the abundance of activities available
that made me feel that my choices were
endless.
Get in touch
Alums can contact Emily via
[email protected]
alumni update
Homecoming
2011
The annual HKIS
Homecoming was a
welcome way to warm
up a winter day in
early January
O
n Thursday, 6 January, 2011, we
welcomed back alumni for the annual
HKIS Homecoming. We were blessed with
the return of around 70 former students,
visiting the campus and reconnecting with
friends, former teachers and counselors
and making new connections with current
students.
Following registration, alumni participated
in campus tours provided by current high
school student ambassadors, where they
reviewed new additions to HKIS built under the school’s Master Facilities Plan. For
some, it was the first time back to the campus – and Hong Kong – in many years and
the changes that have taken place through-
out the Tai Tam site have been significant.
The tours were followed by a barbeque
lunch at the edge of the Tai Tam Sports
Field, the all-weather FIFA-approved pitch
that was only completed in the last two
years. Many faculty and staff members
joined the lunch and swapped HKIS stories
old and new. In the afternoon, alumni and
teachers gathered in the High School Plaza
for a tent reunion.
The tradition of sport lives on in alumni
long after they have left HKIS and this year,
returning to their alma mater also brought
back the spirit of competition: alums put
together a couple of teams to face the current HKIS Girls’ and Boys’ rugby teams.
Despite early flourishes from both the
alumni girls and boys – and with competition and camaraderie that were at fever
pitch – the current HKIS squads were able
to catch and overtake both teams by the
final whistle.
In the Middle School Gym a competitive
basketball match was underway between
alumni and the current team. The game
was led by Jeremy Evans ’93, Humanities teacher and current HKIS basketball
coach.
Later in the evening a number of alums
joined a Happy Hour reception held at Red
Bar at the foot of the IFC building in Central. Current and former faculty and staff
also made the trip downtown to join in the
fun. A few of them were the lucky ones to
win fabulous prizes from the lucky draw.
As the drinks flowed and the chat loosened
up, memories started to return and stories
of adventures past came to life. The evening brought a warm end to a chilly day
in Hong Kong and closed a memorable
Homecoming for one more year. Turn to
the back page of DragonTales to find out
the the date of the next Homecoming. We
hope you can join us!
DragonTales
11
alumni update
Homecoming 2011 …at Tai Tam campus
h School
onald (Hig
Eric MacD n ’10
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Alex Peter
Jessica Jordan ’10, Dr. Rosann Kao (High
School Counselor)
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othy Chian
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Rugby Girls on the field
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PE teacher
Constance Chan
,
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(Top) Alan Beaufoy, Dr. Rosann Kao, (Bottom)
John Wong ’72, Richard Wong ’71, Cynthia Wong
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Bill Stork, Joan
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roeder ’87
Brian Sch
Quinn ’03,
Casey Chan ’0
6
Lisa Wallis
el Tan
a Lee, Rach
e, Andre
Rayla Heid
06
Class of 20
– all from
Jon Walsh (Communications & Publication
Manager), Alison Tong ’03
su
Clement H
Timothy Hui ’82
’08
Lincoln Chan ’8
8, Arthur Maitr
e ’10, Destry
Winant ’10
s (Chief
, Erik Dierk
’79
is, Ken Koo
Mark Wall t Officer)
en
Advancem
Jackson Hall ’0
1
d
Ken ’79 an
son Edward
Koo ’08
alumni update
Big hitter
returns to HKIS
HKIS has always worked
hard to keep the Dragons
baseball team out in front.
Here’s one guy who has
taken it a step further.
T. J. Gavlik ’08 returned
to HKIS to share his story
and skills
T
.J. Gavlik ’08 is currently studying at
University of North Florida (UNF),
majoring in sports management with a
minor of business. But he has only one
thing on his mind at the moment and
that’s baseball.
It wasn’t all set, though. He was pretty
handy with a soccer ball, too, and he
couldn’t dedicate his time to two sports,
“I had to make a decision – I knew that
I couldn’t carry on with both so dropped
that [soccer] to concentrate on baseball.”
T.J. joined HKIS in grade 3 and became involved in the baseball Community League
straight off. But his interest in sports was
something that had been instilled in him
long before then and was guided to some
pretty sensible decisions, “I come from
a pretty athletic family – my dad (Tim
Gavlik, part of the HKIS faculty) used to
run cross-country. He first put a ball and
a glove in my hands and it all started from
there.”
Not long after that decision it was time
for the Christmas break and T.J. went to
a winter baseball camp at Jacksonville
University (JU) in Florida. Right there and
then, JU spotted the potential and invited
him back for the summer baseball camp.
He didn’t need asking twice.
It sounds like he was a natural from the
get go, “In some cases I was playing in the
grade 4 and grade 5 teams, even though I
was still in grade 3!” adds T.J.
14 DragonTales
Then, UNF spotted the potential, too.
Before you know it, T.J. was looking at two
plum scholarships on the table to choose
from.
“Back at HKIS it was a strange time. The
seniors were all focusing on their applications for the different universities. At one
point we were given a number of one-hour
sessions just to focus on apps and to help
get them processed... but I didn’t need it as
I was already done. It was strange to see all
that craziness of my classmates working
through ten apps at a time and yet I was
taken care of”, remembers T.J. But he had
yet to choose his college.
“If I was to do it again I would probably
start looking a lot earlier for a place that
would take me for baseball. The aim has
to be to take a school that’s right for you –
and with the right majors” he added.
crammed between late February and early
June. That’s four or five game a week with
over half of them on the road, which brings
its own fun. Most games involve a trip in
the team bus covering anything between
two and six hours on the road but there’s
one in particular that sticks in mind T.J.
wasn’t looking forward to... Tennessee is
anything up to 12 hours away from UNF
and being a freshman brings a share of
hard work.
Due to family commitments and location,
UNF was chosen. “It was tough, and I felt
bad as JU had discovered what I was capable of and had really helped me, but we
had to go with UNF. After that, I spent the
summer with UNF and things developed
further.
Tradition dictates that at the end of practice the freshmen stay behind and clean
up the field. The very same task awaits
after every bus journey, as the freshmen
make sure the bus is spic and span. With
around 35 guys on the team, cleaning up a
two hour journey can be kinda light work.
But after a 12 hour trip to Tennessee, you
can only begin to imagine what delights
await the cleaning crew.
At University North Florida, baseball practice and training starts the in second week
of the university term. From there on, it’s
full-on training until the season starts and
when it does, there are 56 games to play.
It’s a tough schedule, with all those games
Looking back, maybe the writing was on
the wall – T.J. led the HKIS baseball team
to be APAC (Asia Pacific Activities Conference) champions three years straight
between 2006 and 2008. In his senior year,
he led the team to an 18-2 record year.
Baseball only began at HKIS in 2005 and
they had done pretty well. But when the
2008 team got together, it wasn’t exactly
ideal – two of the team were seniors, the
rest, freshmen. The results were a surprise
to everyone, but the team, “We couldn’t always depend on the many seniors to guide
us to victory. We had to depend on each
other and that is how we were able to be
successful,” added T.J.
DragonTales
15
alumni update
The 2008 Varsity Baseball team won 18
games and lost only two. Of that, seven
were home wins on the new Tai Tam field
and the rest were racked up on the road
as they were crowned champions of all
three tournaments they went to: China
Cup Shanghai (three wins, one loss), Brent
International (four wins, one loss) and Singapore World Series (four wins).
T.J.’s performance at HKIS - 43 runs, 35
hits, 13 home runs, 47 RBI and a whopping .583 batting average - led to him being named in the All-APAC team.
So how is T.J. doing at UNF? Competition
is tough and he didn’t start every game last
year – he admits that his performances
weren’t as strong as they could have been.
However, an injury here and there to his
teammates opened the door and he seized
the opportunity to make a good impression and rack up the numbers, making a
lot of starts. The starting place is his to lose,
which is where he wants to be. He’s pleased
that he’s improved a lot and is still looking
to get better. His record at UNF has seen
T.J. step up to meet the competition headon, achieving several multi-hit games in his
first year, playing in 32 games and making
27 starts in 2009.
In 2010, he started at second base early
in April in the second game of a doubleheader against East Tennessee State and
went on to start every game for the rest
of the season (29 games). A month later
he enjoyed a purple patch with a chunky
hitting streak, managing .400 (16-for-40)
with five doubles, nine runs scored and 11
RBI. He ended up playing in 43 games and
making 32 starts for the season.
The 2011 season has been pretty spectacular,
too, with T.J. recording a .253 batting average, finishing the year 22-for-87 with 14 runs
scored, three doubles, two triples, a home
run and nine runs batted in. He went that
step further and upped his average in Atlantic Sun Conference games, batting .324, going 12-for-37 with five runs scored, a double,
a triple and a home run and eight RBI.
Coming back to HKIS is always a good
thing for T.J. “The teachers know how to
16 DragonTales
connect to the students and the school as a
whole really knows what it’s doing”. It’s this
connection that has T.J., and many others, coming back time and time again to
be part of the HKIS community for many
years after they graduate. And, let’s be
honest, who wouldn’t want to keep coming back to Hong Kong?
One of the many things that sticks in T.J.’s
mind about HKIS is the plethora of opportunities the school afforded him – whether
playing trumpet as part of the band at the
Hong Kong Sevens tournament or taking
part in the interim trips to Japan, Thailand
and New Zealand.
T.J. is quietly optimistic about the future,
but clearly realistic: “I want to see how far
I can make it – but that’s the same story for
millions of kids playing baseball” he points
out. There is talk of being drafted into the
big league, but T.J. was keeping coy, trying
not to get too far ahead of himself. “I’m going
to take it year by year and see how it goes”.
And if it doesn’t work out? T.J. plans to
make use of his university schooling, maybe
looking to open up a dedicated athletics and
sports project that can help raise the profile
of sports talent in the Hong Kong and China areas. Majoring in Sports Management
is helping him towards his goal. “It would
be great to see more and more sports people
from the area make it – ’round here we’re
just a little bit behind places like the US; it
would be great to help raise it.”
T.J. is already playing his part. Each summer, the HKIS all-weather field in Tai Tam
is the venue for a dedicated baseball camp
that passes on solid fundamentals. Now
in its third year, the event brings major
names over from the US for the three-day
camp. Former Major League Baseball players Desi Relaford, Gary Bennett, Charles
Gipson and Brian Tollberg come over to
Hong Kong to take the lead. Right in the
middle of the baseball camp is one T. J.
Gavlik, passing on what he has learned,
bringing his skills full-circle, straight back
to the heart of the HKIS and Hong Kong
community, putting a glove on the hand
of local youngsters, just as Tim Gavlik did
with his son back in grade 3.
DragonTales
17
alumni update
Welcome to YOUR website
What better way to keep in touch with HKIS and fellow alumni than logging on to
a dedicated website? We’ve launched an all-new website with you in mind
T
he Alumni team at HKIS is happy to announce the launch of
our brand new alumni website. The new site includes updated
info about current school news, alumni profiles, former faculty updates, alumni events organized by your Alumni Association and
many more exciting feature, all available at the click of a mouse.
• Search the ‘Alumni Directory’ and reconnect with your fellow
alumni
• Search the exclusive professional opportunity postings under
‘Job Zone’
• Search the events calendar for upcoming alumni events &
reunions
• Registering for events online
• The ‘Alumni Directory’ is there for you and it will help your
fellow alumni to reconnect with you only if we have your
updated profile. Most importantly, we respect your privacy and
you choose the info you wish to be available to your fellow HKIS
alumni in the online directory. We encourage you to visit often
and update your profile as things in life change
One of the most flexible and usable features is the ‘My Alumni
Zone’, a log-in area where you can access a wide range of services
and:
• Update your alumni profile
• Update your email preferences
There are many ways you can keep in touch with
HKIS: you can find HKIS all over the internet:
Alumni website:http://alumni.hkis.edu.hk
Web:www.hkis.edu.hk
Facebook:
Search for ‘HKIS Alumni’
Twitter:www.twitter.com/HKIS
YouTube:www.youtube.com/HKISLive
LinkedIn:
18 DragonTales
Search ‘Groups’ for the ‘HKIS Alumni
Association’
Thanks to the wide reach of the Alumni Resource Network, job
opportunities are now available to HKIS Alumni in our ‘Job Zone’
area. If you are looking for a career change, this is the resource
center with you in mind. If you are looking to hire and would like
to open up opportunities for your fellow alumni that share the
same rounded and fulfilled education as you, consider sending us
the job details and we will help you post an announcement on the
website for alumni to see.
Getting involved is quick, painless and doesn’t involve a bunch
of random emails in your in-box: you choose what you want to
receive. Register now by logging in at:
http://alumni.hkis.edu.hk
As always, we welcome your comments and always look forward
to hearing from you. Staying connected just got easier with the
launch of the new HKIS Alumni website!
Irene Loh
Alumni Relations
[email protected]
HKIS Decade
Luncheons
Three days, three lunches and
thirty years between them.
Decade Luncheons are a hit in
Hong Kong
ey ’85,
Smith Hinsl
’88, Valerie
n
a
h
C
ln
Linco
n ’84
any Gordo
Pattie Boss
Eric Lee ’87, Ro
hini Balani Ch
HKIS ’80s Decade Luncheon
otirmal ’89
12 January 2011
E
arlier this year the HKIS Alumni Office and
Alumni Association organized three decade
luncheons for former HKIS’ers that graduated
in the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s. Three days, three
luncheons and a whole load of time to catch up.
All the luncheons were held at Isola Bar & Grill
in Central Hong Kong and proved to be a big hit
with all that came along.
Wendy Hsu ’85, Soo Young Kim ’89
Janice Lee ’88,
Lincoln Chan ’8
8
As ever at HKIS Alumni events, the Alumni of
various class years shared their HKIS history
and fun times recalling the happy days and fun
times. Can you spot your class mates?
Watch out for future activities organized by
HKIS and your Alumni Association and don’t
miss the next gathering! Check out the new
alumni website and watch your inbox for news.
zden ’87,
4, Rob Gvo
n ’8
any Gordo
Pattie Boss 5
’8
Wendy Hsu
(Top) Eric Lee ’87,
Pattie Bossany Gordon ’84,
Valerie Smith Hinsley ’85,
Rob Gvozden ’87
(Bottom) Rohini Balani
Chotirmal ’89,
Lincoln Chan ’88,
Wendy Hsu ’85,
Janice Lee ’88,
Soo Young Kim ’89
DragonTales
19
alumni update
HKIS ’90s Decade
Luncheon
13 January 2011
Anthony Ng ’9
swami ’93
Fletcher Leung ’98, Jason Shum ’98
Jenn Pratt
nne Tsu ’96
Li
rovich ’95,
do
Milana Teo
’98, Maria
’92, Em
odorovich
Chantal Te 3
n ’9
Richardso
Cheng ’96
Shoumitro Go
swami ’93, Jam
es
(Left) Justin Hardman ’99, Spencer Chiu ’93, Ingrid Wong ’92,
Chantal Teodorovich ’92, Emily Ma Richardson ’93, Milana Teodorovich ’95,
Linne Tsu ’96, Fletcher Leung ’98, Jason Shum ’98, Jenn Pratt ’98,
Maria Cheng ’96, Anthony Ng ’95, Shoumitro Goswami ’93, James Martin ’94
20 DragonTales
ily Ma
5, Shoumitro Go
James Martin ’94, Erik Dierks, Chief
Advancement Officer
Martin ’94
iu
Spencer Ch
’93, Ingrid
Wong ’92
(Bottom) Saurabh Agarwal ’03,
Lai Bond Cheng ’03, Natasha Khan ’03,
John Wang ’03, Ashwin Makhija ’02,
Adnan Farooqi ’02, Erin Yeh ’03
(Top) Gary Yung ’03, Kelly Lo ’06,
Kingston Chu ’03
HKIS ’00s Decade
Luncheon
14 January 2011
, Saurabh
Gary Yung
Ashwin Makhi
ja ’02, Adnan Fa
rooqi ’02, Erin
Yeh ’03
i
Agarwal, La
an, John
atasha Kh
g, N
Bond Chen
3
lass of 200
C
Wang – All
Kelly Lo ’06, Kingston Chu ’03
DragonTales
21
alumni update
Class of 2011
Graduated on Friday, June 3, 2011
22 DragonTales
DragonTales
23
alumni update
Alumni Challenge
Alumni Association President, Rohini
Balani Chotirmal ’89, took on the role
with a clear mission in mind – one she
calls the ‘Alumni Challenge’. We meet
some people that are taking it on.
We spoke with Rohini in the last issue of DragonTales and
she made her mission clear – to forge closer relationships
between HKIS alums and the school. She is hoping to
increase alumni participation in events in Hong Kong –
and around the world – and encourage more alumni to
give back to the school.
And we’re not just talking about cash! Anything goes...
whether it be a quick email to ClassNotes to let your
friends know where you are and what you have been
doing, to helping nominate someone for the Bob
Christian Award or to organize a reunion. Meet four
people who are helping to keep the ball rolling.
Pattie in the classroom with
Miriam her second grader
Pattie Bossany
Gordon ’84 on
giving back
I
graduated from HKIS in 1984.
Here I am 27 years later – can’t
believe it’s been that long! – and
I never imagined my kids would
be attending the same school that
I did. Or that Ken Rohrs is still
teaching at the Middle School!
Hannah in Grade 4 and Miriam
in Grade 2 at Hannah’s string
concert
Throughout the years I’ve kept in touch and maintained the
strong friendships I made at HKIS. Back then, the school was
so much smaller and it’s been wonderful to reconnect with old
and new alumni. It’s also great to see how many more things the
school has to offer since I was a student here.
As a parent, I’ve enjoyed volunteering in the classroom and serving on different committees for the school. Many alumni actually ‘find’ their way back to Hong Kong whether it be for family
reasons or jobs.
I’m proud to be a past and present member of the HKIS
community.
Terence Anderson ’82
Terence Anderson ’82 on staying
connected
T
his is my third time around in Hong Kong as my last
seven years have been spent in Vietnam. No matter, the
memories are all there although with age some of it is becoming more distorted and slightly more charitable of my
achievements at HKIS.
24 DragonTales
I still keep in touch with quite a few of my classmates of ’82
and even after all these years, we have remain strong friends.
HKIS left an indelible mark on me in so many ways. I have
two young daughters going there now, and I expect that they
will have the same if not better (this is before the Tai Tam
Campus opened) experience than I did. I am glad that I attended and became one of the few in the shrinking world to
do so. Experience, education, guidance, friendship all encapsulated into one.
DragonTales? I remember that our crest was a gent in armor
holding a sword!
Joanne Lam ’08 on staying connected
I
often show up at HKIS during my holidays and have teachers
ask me whether I’ve been in high school the last six years. That
could be attributed to my size or simply the fact that I’m there every
holiday I get to go back to Hong Kong. I stay connected with HKIS
because it has shaped who I am today. It is a community of fantastic
students, teachers and administrators of all nationalities.
I attend the alumni network activities as much as I can, including
Alumni Homecoming every year, and I stay connected with many
of the teachers and administrators and offer help as needed.
An important goal for myself is to keep a strong relationship with
those who contribute their time and effort to HKIS and let them
know their hard work has not gone to waste. Although I’m not currently living in Hong Kong, I’m always available through emails if
any current or prospective students have any questions or simply
want to make a new friend.
Joanne in Denmark earlier this year
Eric F. C. Lee ’87 on staying
connected
I
stay connected with HKIS as I feel I have
always been part of this happy family. My
son Byron is currently in 3rd Grade at HKIS –
he started attending in R1. The school has given
me many happy memories as a student and I
try to stay connected by attending gatherings
organized by the Alumni Association.
Eric with wife Judith and son Byron
DragonTales
25
alumni update
10-year
reunion
Class of 2000
What better time to celebrate 10 years since graduating from HKIS
than the holiday period in Hong Kong?
T
he Class of 2000 gathered in Hong Kong over the past New Year to celebrate 10 years since
their graduation from HKIS. No better time to meet up than on December 30, 2010 at the
Kiangsu Chekiang and Shanghai Residents Association Restaurant, for some great food and ten
years worth of chit-chat.
The reunion was a great success and saw over 60 alumni in attendance – some still based in
Hong Kong and other back in town for the holiday period. Alumni caught up with old friends
and managed to make some new ones – spouses and children! – over a lively dinner.
Next stop on the list was the delights of Lan Kwai Fong to revisit old times and great fun at Dags
and Al’s Diner!
Stan Wong, Jess Lee, Eddy Wu, Stephanie She
Kevin Lui, Michael Au, Annie Yuen,
Charles Wan
Lydia Parnell, Shaw Ming Yang, Irene Tam,
Louisa Marion, Natalie Jay
Louisa Marion, Nicole Pang
26 DragonTales
Michael Wu, Jaime Chou, Fai Yeung Lai
Howard Chau, Friend of Howard, Louisa
Marion, Cedric Yu, Natasha Chang
(L to R): Lia Wong, Dana Park, Tao Fei, Rosalia Brown Arora, Jennifer Lin,
Christina Chang, Candice Luk, Lydia Parnell,
Kim Reyes, Michael Drucks
Christina Chang Peng, Lia Wong, Tao Fei,
Candice Luk, Rosalia Brown Arora
Jason Young, Juliana Au Young, Isabelle Young
Cinci Leung, Youn Seoung Cho, Tracy Cheng,
Jennifer Lin, Sanju Uttamchandani
Henry Wong, Cinci Leung, Angel Chang, Trisha Yeh Tsui, Edward Tsui
Howard Chau, Garrick Wong
Felix Chow, Jess Lee, Eddy Wu
Thanks...
A big thank you to Gareth Kwok
and the reunion committee for
organizing a great event and
bringing together the Class of 2000.
Thanks also to Trisha Yeh ’00 for
keeping us up to date with news and
photos of a great evening.
Contact: [email protected]
Vanessa Chau, Natalie Jay, Ben Cheung, Nikko Ho, Justin Kwok
Natasha Chang, Friend of Aron, Aron Butcher, Michelle Wong,
Gareth Kwok
DragonTales
27
alumni update
Reunions
coming up
10-year
25-year
Class of 2001
Class of 1987
29/31 July 2011
New York City
2012
Hong Kong and USA
The Class of 2001 will hold their 10year reunion in New York City on the
weekend of July 29-31, 2011. Our New
York City reunion in 2005 was a huge
success so let’s make this one even
bigger! Venues are to be decided.
Please contact Lauren Tanner at for
information and updates. See you
there!
Attention Class of ‘87! Time to start
thinking about and planning the big
25th reunion. After some contacts
and discussions with classmates, it
appears that there is enough interest to have two reunions, one in the
United States and another in Hong
Kong. Exact dates and locations are
yet to be determined, but please send
Marc Suhr an email expressing your
interest. Most likely, the reunions will
be held during the summer of 2012,
given that most have kids in school.
reunion
Contact: Lauren Tanner ’01 [email protected]
reunion
Contact: Marc Suhr ’87 suhrfam@aol.
com
30-year
reunion
Class of 1981
5/7 August 2011
Atlanta
“Has it really been 30 years?”
Bunshah Jokhi has kindly agreed to let us
invade her hotel, the Wingate in Atlanta
(www.wingateatlanta.com) and we’re
working on a schedule for the few days of
28 DragonTales
fun and story swaps so think about coming
along and joining us.
Please let us know as soon as you can if
you plan on attending, even if you can’t
commit 100 per cent just yet, as this would
really help us with the planning. Mark your
calendars and spread the word to any
class members not on the mailing list!
For more, please check out the website:
http://hkis1981.weebly.com/
If you have any thoughts, questions, comments or want to help, please contact your
reunion committee:
Karen [email protected]
Phyllis Makredes Afendoulis
[email protected]
Freny Bunshah Jokhi
[email protected]
Karen Karr Nimarota
[email protected]
Leslie Arnold Atkinson
[email protected]
Anna [email protected]
Secret Agent Wombat Delapena
[email protected]
Au Revoir,
D.J. Condon
HKIS has come to the end of an era –
David J. Condon has left the building.
We salute the Head of School who ushered
in the modern era of education to HKIS
H
KIS can’t seem to let a month go by
without putting another mark in the
history books and June and July this year
are no exception. 30th June marked the
end of the three-year tenure of Head of
School David J. (D.J.) Condon.
D.J. joined HKIS as Associate Head of
School in 2008, the role he held for his first
two years. In his final year, he served as
Head of School.
D.J.’s visionary leadership of HKIS and his
passionate advocacy of its Mission and
Student Learning Results were remarkable. Board of Manager’s Chair Abbi DeLessio summed it up nicely at an event
marking D.J.’s departure:
“It’s my honor and privilege to recognize
and thank someone who exemplifies above
and beyond the call of duty, the person
who leads HKIS in advancing the mission
and student learning results, our Head of
School, D.J. Condon.
HKIS Heads of School
1966 – 1977
1977 – 1996
1996 – 1997
1997 – 2001
2001 – 2004 2004 – 2005
2005 – 2010
2010 – 2011
2011 – present
Robert E. Christian
David F. Rittmann Earl J. Westrick
Charles W. Dull
William B. Wehrenberg
James A. Handrich
Richard W. Mueller
David J. Condon
Kevin M. Dunning
It is hard for me to comprehend that D.J.
has been at HKIS for only three years; I
have difficulty remembering a time when
he wasn’t here. In the three years since D.J.
joined our learning community, over 500
students have graduated from HKIS; over
500 young adults whose lives have been influenced and shaped by their experiences
at HKIS and D.J.’s significant role in defining those experiences.
That figure of 500 students doesn’t provide
the whole picture however. It does not take
into account the hundreds of other students who have passed through the school
over the last three years; the teachers and
administrators who have been mentored
and inspired by D.J. and the community
members who have worked with him to
support HKIS. Nor does it recognize the
hundreds of other lives these people will
touch as they proceed through their life’s
journey. All of these people will, to some
degree, be touched by HKIS and, by extension, will be impacted by the leadership
that D.J. has provided as both Associate
Head and Head of School. Your impact has
been extensive D.J., a big pond with seemingly endless ripples.”
We said that June and July were historic
months, but have only mentioned June. So,
July sees the start of a new era: HKIS under
the leadership of new Head of School,
Kevin M. Dunning. We’ll be meeting
him in more detail in the next issue of
DragonTales.
Now, the limelight is fading on D.J. as he jets
off from Chek Lap Kok to be Headmaster
at Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan. Our
loss is their gain, but we wave off D.J. with
our hearty and healthy regards, knowing
that he has left an indelible mark on HKIS,
ushering in the modern era with the 1-to1 laptop program and many initiatives to
enhance the HKIS Mission and Student
Learning Results.
Eventhough D.J. will be in Japan, it’s certainly not sayonara, but au revoir.
DragonTales
29
alumni news
Each year we take time to reflect on the HKIS Mission
and Student Learning results and to see who has
been living out their true meaning. Nominated by you,
awarded by HKIS, our worthy recipient is...
Bob Christian
Alumnus/Alumna
of the Year Award
Leontine Chuang ’93
Words by Howard Tang ’94 and Jon Walsh
I
t was a long, hard process for the judging panel, but it was worth it – it always is. Judging this award is one of the
most rewarding jobs of the year since it
shows that, long after many students have
left HKIS, long after they have travelled,
worked and experienced life in other parts
of the globe, HKIS alumni are continuing to live the HKIS Mission and Student
Learning Results (SLRs). Leontine Chuang
’93 is no exception.
Leontine with husband Simon, son Aidan and
daughter Simone
Leontine graduated from HKIS having
been with us since R2 and went on to major
in Political Science and International Studies at Northwestern University in Chicago.
It was at Northwestern that Leontine began her involvement in politics and government affairs, first becoming active
within the student government and in her
senior year, becoming president of the student government. One of the highlights of
her time there was meeting Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, sadly only a short
time before that fateful crash in a Paris
road tunnel.
Upon leaving Northwestern, Leontine
took up a post at Nankai University and
moved to Tianjin in China where she
learned Mandarin and taught oral and
30 DragonTales
written English to students from all over
the country, passing on many aspects of
Western culture.
After a year, Leontine returned to study law
at Northwestern, also serving as Editor-inChief of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business. Graduation in
2001 was followed by a move to New York
where she began life as a corporate lawyer.
But her thoughts of service weren’t far behind and soon she took time out of her hectic corporate schedule to act as a pro-bono
attorney for battered women in Family
Court and a pro-bono attorney for an asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC). One of the highlights of
her time in New York was helping her client
from the DRC get refugee status in the US.
In 2004, continuing as a corporate lawyer
for the same law firm, Leontine moved
back to Hong Kong. After a year and a half,
Leontine decided she could do more – service was calling in the most subtle of ways.
It was while she was helping a friend look
for a new job that Leontine spotted the
United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) ad that would change
her life. It offered the chance to use her
pro-bono experience for asylum applications and to give something back.
At Hong Kong Disneyland with the families
of Teddy Fong ’92 and Tim Chen ’92
So, in 2005, Leontine started working for
the UNHCR in their Hong Kong office,
serving as a Refugee Status Determination
Assistant. The role required her to make
determinations about whether refugee
applicants meet the UNHCR’s exacting
criteria for refugee status.
Leontine has interviewed hundreds of
asylum seekers and heard countless horrific stories about persecutory experiences
from refugees. By working with a team to
grant asylum seekers refugee status, she has
helped save lives and provide a chance for a
life of freedom from fear and persecution.
Leontine has also worked hard with her colleagues to help ensure that asylum seekers
and refugees’ rights are protected in Hong
Kong and their protection needs, whether
material, physical or psychological are met.
It’s not easy - hundreds of applications
come through the office each year and yet
less than 10 per cent of them are approved.
The decisions aren’t taken lightly. Each applicant has a story to tell, each has a unique
situation – people don’t seek refugee status
because they’re having a good time, it’s because they have nowhere else to turn. For
Leontine, there is optimism: “I am able to
Leontine addressing HKIS students about
UNHCR’s work in Marty Schmidt’s class in
May 2006
give someone a chance at a new life,” she
says, “I find that very rewarding.”
She has made presentations to many lawyers, government officers and police officers
in Hong Kong to educate them about the
plight of refugees around the world and on
our own doorstep in Hong Kong. And since
graduating from HKIS, Leontine has kept in
contact with many alumni whom she knew
at HKIS and returned to HKIS, attending
one of Marty Schmidt’s classes to explain
what UNHCR does globally and in Hong
Kong. On Service Day, 11 March, Leontine
was invited to address Grade 6 students and
explain her work with UNHCR.
Leontine has not just rested with helping
refugees through UNHCR. It was during
2010 that she took on the role as one of
the Governors of a charitable foundation
The UNHCR plaque outside of Leontine’s office
DragonTales
31
alumni news
that provides donations to worthy causes
across Hong Kong. No easy task with such
a demanding role and a busy family life,
thanks to husband Simon, son Aidan and
daughter Simone.
Through her work at the UNHCR, Leontine has strived to help people understand
the importance of having compassion for
the plight of others, the importance of ser-
vice to others and the importance of doing
our part to help protect the human rights
of others. All of which has many parallels
to the HKIS Mission: “Dedicating... our
hearts to compassion and our lives to service and global understanding”.
No doubt, Leontine Chuang ’93 is your
worthy recipient of the Bob Christian
Alumna/Alumnus of the Year Award.
Previous winners
2008/09 David ’94 and Josh Begbie ’96
The Crossroads Foundation has not passed many people by. An educational and service organization that has sprouted from its humble beginnings in 1995 to reach over
100 countries around the world. Its founders, brothers David and Josh Begbie, were
judged to have truly lived the HKIS Mission and SLRs and so were jointly awarded
the Bob Christian award in 2008.
What started as donations to a disaster in China has grown into a UN partnership
operation that has seen them link with NGOs the world over, linking supply with
demand, hence the name Crossroads. It has even generated an educational division
that includes a ‘refugee simulation, so people from all walks of life can experience the
processes that millions have to endure around the world. In 2009, the brothers were
invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to give world leaders a
taste of refugee life through their educational program.
What’s it all about?
David and Josh were presented with the Bob Christian Award at the graduation
ceremony in June 2009.
The Award was established in 2006 to
recognize the tremendous service of Bob
Christian, the very first Head of School for
HKIS. The aim is to give recognition to the
Alumnus/Alumna who has made a strong,
positive contribution to HKIS, our community and the wider community while
living our Mission Statement and SLRs.
The selection criteria used is that candidates:
2009/10 Ken Koo ’79 and Charles Watson ’09
• Exemplify our Mission and Student
Learning Results
Charles Watson won because he was a “role model in service leadership”. He spent
his gap year in Nepal and Ghana working to bring wider information technology
and website access to education. His work involves bringing computers to schools
and running them on solar power. He creates a local network within the classroom,
hooks it up to batteries and solar power and in under 40 minutes of arriving at a
school can have children looking at information on the internet. The computers are
made from locally sourced parts, so is something goes wrong, the children don’t have
to wait weeks or months for something to be shipped.
• Contribute to the HKIS community, the
local community, or the broader community
The Award’s Selection Committee will
meet to review and consider nominations
on their merits. Nominations are welcome
from everyone, however, be quick as nominations close on February 1, 2012.
32 DragonTales
Ken Koo ’79 and Charles Watson ’09 might have graduated 20 years apart, but as
joint winners of the Bob Christian award they have fully embodied the true spirit of
the HKIS Mission and SLRs. It was a golden year to have two alums who perfectly
exemplify the Mission and SLRs.
Ken was selected for his dedication to supporting HKIS over a number of years. He
served as Alumni Association President for six years and, along with Desmond Chu
’91, set-up the James A. Handrich Service Leadership Endowment, itself a project
that continues to fertilize and grow the true meaning of the HKIS Mission and SRLs.
The two winners don’t just have the Bob Christian Award in common – Ken was so impressed with Charles’ projects that he has helped to fund one of the projects in Nepal.
ClassNotes
Welcome to the latest updates of who’s been
where, for how long, when they were here and
how long they’ve been there! It’s a bumper issue
of ClassNotes this issue.
We’ve been contacted by lots of people and
we’d like to say a big thank you to all. If there
is someone in particular you’re trying to get in
touch with, let us know and we’ll try our best to
help establish and reignite those connections.
Don’t forget to check out the all-new HKIS
alumni website.
If you want to be included in ClassNotes and
let everyone know where you are and what
you’re doing, get in touch with Irene Loh via
[email protected]
Get involved!
You can find HKIS all over the internet:
FacebookSearch for the group ‘HKIS Alumni Association’
Twitterwww.twitter.com/HKIS
YouTubewww.youtube.com/HKISLive
LinkedInwww.linkedin.com
Webwww.hkis.edu.hk
Alumni website http://alumni.hkis.edu.hk
DragonTales
33
classnotes
Martha Jane McCaskill
M
In Memoriam
We are saddened to hear of the
loss of HKIS’ first librarian since
the last issue of DragonTales.
Our thoughts go out to the family,
friends and classmates of our
friend and early supporter
artha Jane McCaskill was recently honored following her death on October 16, 2010, as the
first librarian of the Hong Kong International School
with an engraved plaque, which will be prominently
displayed in a glass display case being constructed at
the entrance of the High School library. Born on September 16, 1930 in Paris, Texas, she received her Degree in Library Science from East Texas State Teachers
College in August 1950. Martha served as Librarian in
the Bridgewater-Raritan, New Jersey School District,
prior to moving to Hong Kong in 1965 when her husband, Don was assigned to Hong Kong as one of four
employees from the IBM World Trade Headquarters
in New York City to establish the IBM World Trade
South East Asia Regional Headquarters in Hong Kong.
Martha Jane McCaskill pictured
in October 2010
At that time, there was no international school in Hong Kong, and the
children of the few expatriates living there went to The Maryknoll Sisters
Missionary School on the island of Hong Kong or King George V School
in Kowloon.
In addition to loaning the school their initial set of World Book
Encyclopedias which she had shipped to Hong Kong along with other
personal items, Martha volunteered to order and catalogue all of the start
up school’s library books the ‘old fashioned way’ by hand printing all of
the index cards with titles and Dewey Decimal System codes, as well as
lettering the codes on each catalogued book. All three McCaskill children
attended HKIS. Their eldest daughter, Christy, still remembers going from
Maryknoll each day after school before HKIS opened to assist her mother
with this monumental undertaking and shelving the newly acquired
books. Christy was recognized not only as an outstanding student at HKIS
at the end of her Junior year before returning with the family to New York,
but also for assisting her mother with the establishment of the library.
Today, four HKIS campus libraries serve our students from state-of-theart technology literary centers with over 110,000 books from a humble
beginning made possible by Martha.
The McCaskill family pictured in 1967. Left to
right: Martha, Dean, Christy, Don and Sally
34 DragonTales
Following retirement from IBM in 1985, the McCaskills returned home to
Paris, Texas to live on Strawbaby Farm after living, working and traveling
around the world for 35 years. Martha McCaskill is buried in Evergreen
Cemetery in Paris, Texas and Don continues to reside at Strawbaby Farm.
This memorial for Mrs. McCaskill was donated by Joyce and Reid Samuelson. Joyce (Todd) Samuelson ’71 was a classmate of the McCaskill children
at HKIS and their families remain close friends.
Martha is survived by her husband Donald McCaskill; daughters, Christy
(McCaskill) Wendell ’69 – class agent for the class of ’69 and Sally (McCaskill) Stein ’70; son, Dean Morgan McCaskill ’76.
Where are they now?
Former Faculty Update
Mrs. Nancy Kroonenberg
Birthday:
June 20
What did you teach?
Middle School and High School French Teacher
Then High School Assistant Principal
Years at HKIS:
Current location:
1977-1996
Tokyo, Japan
What did you do after
HKIS? For 15 years, I have been the High School
Assistant Principal at the American School
in Japan.
What are your fondest
memories of HKIS?
The people - loved the students and colleagues. Great memories of 3 summer trips
to France with students as well as various
Interim trips, especially to the Pattaya orphanage. Former students often remind
me of some fun French classes, especially when I shampooed my hair in class,
dressed in pajamas or sang - which I do
very poorly.
What are your fondest
memories of Hong Kong?
Everything - the pace, the people, the food,
the nightlife.
What is the one thing you
learned during your time at HKIS
that you still make use of today?
HKIS was such a formative part of my
educational career. There is not one thing
which I can pinpoint, but to this day, I still
make reference to students and colleagues.
Have you been back to Hong
Kong since leaving?
Almost every year.
Who do you keep in touch with
from your time at the school?
Ken Koo ’79, Bill Bossany ’82, Pattie Bossa-
Nancy with Pip Simpkin, former HKIS High School faculty member, in Tauranga New Zealand,
March 2011
ny Gordon ’84, Robin Tierney ’84, David
Wu ’86, Gia Antonellis ’96, Eric Sun ’86,
Patricia Chen Sadayasu ’98, Terry and Bill
Anderson, Lisa Ahnert, Kevin Baker and
family, Carol and Larry Eichert, Anne Ellis, Joanne Fallon, Karen Fish, Dean Fritts,
George Coombs, Jim Handrich, Jenifer
Holcombe, Jane and Joel Klammer, Dave
Kohl, Sandy Krist, Susan Kuyper, Lesley
Lewis, Anna Maakestad, Eric MacDonald,
Dan McCarthy, Shirley Miske, Gina Maltese Preciado, Ken and Karen Rohrs, Bob
Scripko, Cyrus Shaoul, Rosalyn Shaoul, Pip
Simpkin, Janet Taylor, Sarah Todd, Mike
Wong-Russell and many more which I’ve
seen at the 40th reunion, on Facebook and
email.
In three words, describe HKIS:
Terrific, Life-changing, Life-long friends
How can people re-connect
with you?
Email: [email protected]
What’s next for you?
We are still inveterate travelers. In recent
years, our travels have taken us to Albania,
Moldova, Montenegro, and Slovakia, just
to mention several places on our long and
lovely summer journeys. In a few years, it’s
retirement. We’ve dreamt of Malta, Cyprus, Portugal and France but will probably
end up in Amsterdam. Would love to have
visitors here or there.
DragonTales
35
classnotes
Former Faculty Update
Mrs. Sarah Todd
Birthday: March 13
What did you teach: US history, American Studies, World History,
Psychology, Sociology, Economics
Years at HKIS:
Current location:
1985 to 1992
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas
What are your fondest
memories of HKIS?
Many including my years working as a
dean and social studies teacher. I felt I got
to know the students in many different
ways as we worked to change schedules,
talked about colleges and about curriculum. Loved working with Jim Handrich
and the other deans.
What are your fondest
memories of Hong Kong?
Star Ferry, walking the Dragon’s Back with
the Baker family, early years with the high
school in Repulse Bay, tea at the Peninsula Hotel, Flagstaff House Museum of
Teaware, the Man Mo Temple, walking
on Hollywood Road, Honeychurch Antiques, trips to Macau, Lunar New Year
holiday, Mid-Autumn Festival and on and
on. Loved living in the neighborhoods of
Happy Valley.
What is the one thing you
learned during your time at
HKIS that you still make use of
today?
I learned students are our greatest resource
in schools.
Have you been back to Hong
Kong since leaving?
I am there very often. HKIS staff and faculty helped me start another school in
Tianjin, China with HKIS veterans Charlene Schneiter, Jack MacSlarrow and Scott
Rhodewalt. My husband continues to do
work at HKU so I am there twice a year
and often make it to HKIS to check on my
beloved school.
36 DragonTales
Sarah Todd at her current school in Austin, Texas in March 2011
Who do you keep in touch with
from your time at the school?
I keep in touch with many people including
Anna and Tom Maakestad, Denise Carver,
Scott Rhodewalt, Jack MacSlarrow, Nancy
Kroonenberg, Janet Taylor, Doug Baker
and Family, Lesley Lewis, Beth Smith
Nicholson, Jim Handrich and many former students including Rob Gvozden ’87,
Henry Kim ’87, Molly Giss ’88, John Hyun
’89, Bijoy Goswami ’91, Mark Abernathy
’91, Seth Baker ’91, Darlene Lanham ’93,
Kemal Arsan ’93, Catherine ’89 and Chris
Puranananda, Maija Muncy, Benjy Lee and
quite a few others. I have been to quite a
few reunions since I left including one in
Austin, Texas last summer.
In three words, describe HKIS:
Postive, Tolerant, Adaptable.
How can people re-connect
with you?
Email: [email protected]
What’s next for you?
I am the Director on the International
Program at my school and I love it. I also
teach world history. I do a good bit of travel
which is wonderful.
1973
Burke M. Wong ’73
[email protected]
ClassNotes I
am currently the Force Counsel for Legal and Treaty Affairs, Multinational
Force & Observers (MFO), the peacekeeping force established pursuant to the
Camp David Accords. The MFO monitors
compliance with the Peace Treaty between
Egypt and Israel. I am stationed in the Sinai Peninsula and will be here until August
2012.
Me and my dog Asia (left) who was adopted
from the Humane Society a few years ago
hear from so many other HKIS alumni on
Facebook and Twitter via @Patrickgfl.
1985
David Jones ’85
[email protected]
I
attended HKIS from 1975-1977 – 2nd
and 3rd grades and 1980-1983 – from
7th to 10th grades as part of class of 1985.
This is at a bunker located at memorial site at the Israeli/Syrian border in the Golan Heights
1974
Patrick Gould ’74
[email protected]
I have been living in South Florida for over
20 years and am working in Real Estate related businesses.
Bud Skennion ’74 and I continue to make
regular ‘investments’ on the horse races,
and we think we are very close to winning
a race one day. What we need is the help
of our friend Walter Loh ’74 to help us pick
the winners!
I continue to enjoy my involvement with
the Humane Society and other animal
welfare organizations. It has been great to
I have so many great memories of HKIS
and Hong Kong. Even though I graduated from Seoul Foreign School in Korea
in 1985, I always considered Hong Kong
and HKIS home and I returned to Hong
Kong for Christmas and summer vacation
my junior and senior year of high school
to visit with friends of my class year James
“B” Burnett, Mike Taylor, Chad Forrest and
Mike Medina.
I’ve since settled in Southern California,
where I attended UCLA for undergraduate
study and also UCLA’s Anderson School
of Management - MBA. I now live in Redondo Beach with my wife (Debbie) and
twin daughters (Natalie and Kaela-Mae).
I am currently the Director of Terminals
Business Management for Los Angeles
International Airport and Ontario International Airport where I manage the concessions and terminal leasing programs at
both airports. One perk is seeing Cathay
Pacific’s 777-300ER aircraft daily, which
DragonTales
37
classnotes
routinely gives me pause to think fondly
of my many trips to/from on ‘home-leave’.
Through my work, I have reconnected with
Chris Sinfield ’85 who works in the area
and correspond periodically with Mike
Taylor, Chad Forrest, Helen Best ’86, Mark
Lutz, Valarie Smith, and Vanessa Orie.
Also, for the past two years, my family
has met up with Lanchi Venator ’85 and
Stephanie Baum ’85 and their families in
San Diego – hopefully we’ve started an annual tradition.
Hopefully I will get a chance to return to
Hong Kong soon to show my family where
I grew up.
Mohammed A. Mohammed
’85
[email protected]
I
t is my pleasure to be connected to HKIS.
It is indeed a wonderful experience. I
attended HKIS in 1976, with my sister
Bilkisu and brother Idris. We were about
the only black Africans in the school. I was
in grade 3 at the time.
My father decided to run for the election
for the office of state Governorship in Nigeria after leaving Hong Kong in December
1976. I completed my secondary education
and university degree from the prestigious
Bayero University, Kano Nigeria, where I
graduated with a law degree. Although
I’m not a practicing lawyer, I have set up
a trading company, which I am the Chief
Executive Officer.
1987
Nigeria is a beautiful country, with huge
resources and with over 150 million people. I live very close to Nigeria’s capital of
Abuja, about 30 minutes drive.
1989
I also have another title ‘Shettima of Keffi’
which is a prestigious traditional title for a
Royal Prince of Keffi, Nigeria. The picture
attached herewith with turban on my head
is the usual attire of Shettima and Prince
in Nigeria. I hope you’ll like the pictures.
I’ll appreciate seeing any of the pictures
I had with my grade 3 classmates at the
time. I’ll also be glad to reconnect with
any alumni that are in Nigeria. It is also
my hope, wish and plan to visit the school
soon.
Bobby Kwan ’87
[email protected]
I
have recently joined Jaguar Land Rover
China in Shanghai as the Senior Manager for Network Operations. This shall be
my 11th year working in Shanghai already,
time really flies.
Pinki Bengani-Praveena Baid
’89
[email protected]
S
o, after Hong Kong, I shifted to India where I completed my graduation
in English Literature and French Minor.
Have been married for almost 18yrs now;
have two sons: Dhruv coming to 13 and
Divye almost 9 now. Am happily settled
in Singapore enjoying being a full time
mum. My parents left Hong Kong during
Pinki BenganiPraveena
Baid ’89 with
Birendra Baid
Finally, I also congratulate the parents,
staff, faculty and students for keeping the
flag of HKIS flying.
1986
Derek Kwik ’86
Mohammed A.
Mohammed ‘85 (left),
with turban (above),
the usual attire of
Shettima and Prince in
Nigeria
My experience in both Hong Kong and
HKIS at the time was fulfilling. My father
Hassan Mohammed was Nigeria’s Consul
General based in Hong Kong and we used
to live at the Repulse Bay Garden not too
far away from the school. It was a beautiful
experience when I think of the fantastic
student-student relationship and pupilteacher relationship, the tours, the sports
time, the choirs and personal relationships
with fellow classmates whom I cannot
practically remember.
38 DragonTales
I
n January 2011, Curt Jennewine visited
Hong Kong on a business trip. It has
been nearly 25 years since some of us has
seen each other and the recounting of old
HKIS memories over a delicious Shanghainese dinner was fantastic.
Pinki BenganiPraveena
Baid ‘89 with
children Dhruv
and Divye
(Left to right) Victor Cheung ’86, Koh‑Ann Chu ’86, Amy Ng ’86, Curt Jennewine ’86, David Wu ’86,
Vanessa Chien ’85, Derek Kwik ’86
Tracey with her sons
Bobby, Michael and Tyler
the handover that’s why I have not ended
up coming there but really look forward
to catching up with you guys some time!
1992
Tracey Harris ’92
[email protected]
I
t has been a long time since I sent in an
update. I have been living in Singapore
for the last 5 years with my husband Mark
and sons Tyler (9), Bobby (7) and Michael
(3). I recently received my MBA from the
University of Chicago Booth School of
Business and am now taking a few months
off to spend time with my family and travel
before looking for a new job. Last year I
caught up with quite a few people from
our class including Traci Tong, Art Berman, Liz (McCauley) Collard, and two
classmates from way back in 6th grade, E
– Lynn Goh and Sanjay Natarajan. I also
met up with Nanette Ruhter who teaches
at my sons’ school. I hope all of you are doing well, and please do get in touch if you
come to Singapore for any reason.
Tracey and her
husband Mark
amazing, eye-opening experience! On the
way back, I got to show him around Hong
Kong for the first time. We paid a visit to
HKIS and ran into some of my teachers:
George Coombs, Marty Schmidt, Zella
Talbot, Kent Ewing, Janet Taylor, and Sue
Harvey. I continue to compose and pro-
1995
duce music for film and sports, as well
as sing professional background vocals
(e.g. Coco Lee) here in Los Angeles. I’m
also still working on an album of original
songs. Last year’s highlights include our
many trips (New Orleans, Boston, San
Diego, San Francisco, and Las Vegas), getting pregnant, as well as buying our dream
house! Meanwhile, with the January birth
of our precious little daughter, Elliana,
2011 is shaping up to be even more exciting. After 30 hours of labor, she came out
with a full head of hair weighing 7 lbs 13oz.
Parenthood has been humbling and tiring
so far, but also a joy and blessing that is
worth it all. Every new day with our baby
makes us more and more amazed and
grateful at God’s miraculous gift to us.
Susan Strebel ’95
Christie Chong ’95
[email protected]
[email protected]
C
I
oming this August 2011, I will be
married for almost 4 years to the love
of my life, Albert Chong, whom I met in
Los Angeles. In 2009, we went on a medical missions trip where Albert got to perform orthopedic surgeries in rural China
to help people with deformities. What an
Christie and her husband Albert Chon
Christie’s visit in 2009 pictured with George
Coombs and Marty Schmidt
Christie with her 11 weeks old
daughter Elliana
am currently in Brooklyn, New York
where I have been for the last five years.
I am the Director of Special Events for New
York City Center, a performing arts center
in Manhattan featuring musical theater
and dance. Our resident dance companies include Alvin Ailey American Dance
Christie’s visit in 2009 pictured with Zella Talbot and
Kent Ewing
DragonTales
39
classnotes
Theater, Paul Taylor Dance Company and
American Ballet Theatre. I am engaged
to my boyfriend of 13 years and we will
be married in July. He is the owner of
Calexico, a brand of restaurants and street
carts in Brooklyn and New York City. Old
friends can email me.
1997
Gabriel Hung ’97
[email protected]
G
abriel left HKIS in 1994 and has
been back in Hong Kong since 1997.
He studied medicine at the University of
Hong Kong and worked as a psychiatrist
in Hong Kong for 7 years, becoming a specialist in 2009. He recently left his hospital
job and is now pursuing a new career as a
trainee solicitor at an American law firm
in Hong Kong. Gabriel would love to catch
up with friends from his HKIS days.
Catriona (McGregor) Fox ’97
[email protected]
Aldrinana’s parents and sister Robbieana ’05
at the graduation ceremony
2003
Aldrinana Leung ’03
[email protected]
I
n December 2010, Aldrinana Leung
graduated from London School of Economics (LSE) with a Masters Degree in
Government Development. Previous to
her masters studies, she graduated from
Georgetown University with a Bachelor
of Arts Degree. She has worked with the
Clinton Global Initiative three times.
been attending Emerson College after. I’m
at the end of my second year in College
studying Communication Studies. This
past semester has been one of the best
times and experiences of my life. I am at
a study abroad program in a small town
in the Netherlands through my college.
I have been living in a 14th century medieval castle (Kasteel Well) the last three
months, and have had the privilege to
travel around Europe and the UK every
single weekend. I will return to Boston in
September to begin my final two years of
college. Time flies!
2008
Joanne Lam ‘08
[email protected]
Http://jolam08.wordpress.com
S
ince I graduated HKIS in 2008, I have
volunteered as a 1st grade teacher assistant in Cambodia for a year and have
Joanne Lam in the village of Well, province of
Limburg, Netherlands in January 2011
In Memoriam
As we were going to press, we received the sad news
of the passing of David Smith ’77 on 2 June after a
sudden illness that lasted a little over a month. David
and his wife had just moved from Carrollton, Georgia,
to Montgomery, Alabama, so he could work full-time
with the Army National Guard.
He was a loving husband, father and dedicated solider.
Dave faithfully served his country as a Captain and
Airborne Ranger in the United States Army and
National Guard. He is survived by his wife, Marla Rea Smith; daughters, Sara
Christine Barker and Rachel Marie Smith.
The son of Lewis and Shirley Smith, David had three sisters, all of whom attended
HKIS; Karen Smith Moore ’73, Cathy Smith Caviness ’75 and Deborah Smith ’80.
Mongomery (Monty) Fox born on
January 3, 2011
Memorial donations may be made to The Wounded Warriors Project or the
Red Cross:
M
Wounded Warriors Project: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
y husband Christopher and I welcomed Mongomery (Monty) Fox
into the world on 3 January 2011.
40 DragonTales
Red Cross: http://www.montgomeryarc.org/
42 DragonTales
Mission
Dedicating our minds to inquiry, our hearts to compassion,
and our lives to service and global understanding
An American-style education grounded in the Christian faith
and respecting the spiritual lives of all
Student Learning Results
Academic Excellence
Students will achieve their intellectual potential by striving for and
attaining the highest standards of academic excellence
Spirituality
Students will understand and respect Christianity and other religions
and will identify and develop their own spiritual identity
Character Development
Students will demonstrate respectful and caring attitudes at school and
in the community, as well as the courage to stand up for what is right
The Mission and SLRs are the North
Star for HKIS, its staff, faculty and
students. We use these as our guide
in everything we do, every day.
Hong Kong International School
1 Red Hill Road, Tai Tam
Hong Kong
www.hkis.edu.hk
Self-Motivated Learning
Students willingly apply a variety of learning and motivation strategies
throughout their learning process
Contributing to Society
Students will develop the skills they need to form genuine relationships
in our diverse society and to make contributions to our community
Chinese Culture
Students will gain an understanding of China and an appreciation of the
Chinese Culture
Destination: Hong Kong
Homecoming
6 January, 2012
Mark your diary, book your
flights, call your friends and
pack your old yearbook for a
very special gathering back at
Hong Kong International School.
http://alumni.hkis.edu.hk