The 2015/16 school year at Kellett looks set to be a big one for the staff and students. We asked their team to give us the rundown on some of the major events taking place.
Graduation and beyond
One of the few schools in Hong Kong offering A-Levels, Kellett is welcoming the second ever cohort of Year 12 and 13 students to take the A-levels in 2015/16. There are currently 17 subjects available for study, and the programme allows students to develop both their academic and personal strengths to prepare them for university or whichever path they choose to follow after graduation.
Hong Kong kids are lucky enough to grow up surrounded by many cultures, which means they get a very well-rounded view of the world from an early age; Kellett’s teaching aims to enhance this, to better prepare students for the world after school, with the development of what they call “intellectual curiosity”. Academically, the A-Levels are at the core of what they do, but they also believe that in fostering intellectual curiosity – a deep and persistent desire to know – students will grow to be innovative, creative and imaginative.
Global outlook
Once a year, Senior School students at Kellett take trips in their year groups, and engage in community programmes. These trips are the highlight of the year for many students, and the aim is to help them become more independent, experience new challenges, take greater personal responsibility and get to know peers in their year groups better. The entire school travels in the same week, and this year the trips will take place in the autumn term, to destinations such as Thailand, Cambodia, China, Malaysia and Bali.
Focus on the arts
While the academic side of school is the most important, for many students the extra-curricular activities create long-lasting memories of fun times and friendship. There is always a learning purpose behind such activities though. Drama Curriculum Leader Tim Hall says, “Working in the arts provides young students with a completely unique platform to develop new knowledge and skills in a wide array of areas: marketing, filming, editing, designing, creating and performing. Furthermore, young students are encouraged to work collaboratively in the creative process – through negotiation and planning, and with rehearsals and performances. Work in the arts presents an opportunity to develop tangible and transferable skills in a supportive and creative environment.”
This year, the students will get to practice those skills as they take on a performance of The Wiz, a 1978 musical film starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor, which retells the iconic The Wizard Of Oz.
Whether they’re gearing up for graduation, taking the trip of a lifetime with their peers, or exploring their more creative sides, it sounds like the students of Kellett are in for a fantastic year.
This story first appeared in Expat Living’s August-September 2015 issue.
