PTA Newsletter家長教師會通訊

Mr. K.F. Yu, Mr. KC Lau, Mr. F. Mahmood and Mr. K.C. Lo Art Designer : Mr. T.F. LamEditorial Board :

6

Mahmood Faisal

Parent-Teacher AssociationStanding Committee Member List (2010-2011)

Mr. Lau, Dr. Chan, Mr. Mahmood, Mr. Bukhari, Mrs Khalid, Ms Lucas, Ms Sezto & Mr. Yu

Dec/2011

Chairperson Mr. MAHMOOD FaisalVice-chairperson Mr. YU K.F. Treasurer Ms SZETO SSVice-Treasurer Mrs. KHALID Helita Y

Principal Dr CHAN K.P. (until July, 2011)Mr. LO K.C. (from Aug, 2011)

Assistant Principal Mr. LAU K.C. Parent-member Ms LUCAS ArleneParent-member Mr. BUKHARI S.A. Abbas

Leading the PTA for the fourth consecutive year, I have been truly honored and privileged to have the faith, trust and consistent support of parents and teachers.

The activities planned this year included: the favorite “Day Trip”, the religious lecture series as well as community service volunteer work. The PTA would like to plan different activities next year, so the parents’ feedback is essential.

Communication and feedback are of utmost importance for the success of any organization. The PTA has always welcomed feedback, regardless of it being in the form of praise or constructive criticism. Keep making good use of opportunities, such as the PTI, to share your views with us.

I am looking forward to the upcoming AGM and to seeing more parents coming forward to serve in the PTA and striving to provide the best for our students.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRPERSON

Telephone: 27422028 * Email: enquiry@deliabw.edu.hk * Website: http://www.deliabw.edu.hk

PTA Newsletter2

Activities/ Events organized by the 13th PTA Standing Committee 2010– 11

17th Dec 2010 (Fri) Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the 13th Committee (2010-11)

30th Jan 2011 (Sun) Parent-Teacher Interview – parent counter that offered refreshment to parents and collected opinions from parents

Sept – Oct 2011 (Fri) Religious Class (Islam) – to provide students more opportunity in understanding religion

13th Nov 2011 (Sun) Day Trip – Nam Lian Garden at Diamond Hill and Kadoorie Farm at Tai Po – for parents & children and teachers to enjoy a trip together

19th Nov 2011 (Sat)Community Service – Visiting elderly in Tsuen Wan – for our kids to have more exposure to people who are in need of support and for the community to know more about us and our school

Dec 2010 Newsletter #6 – for parents and children to know more about the work of the PTA

It is challenging to be the Principal in Broadway, especially in this “double cohort year”.

The first cohort of NSS students is going to sit for their Hong Kong Diploma of Education Examination and the last cohort of Secondary 7 students will also take their Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination in March 2012. Parents, teachers and students are all facing the big changes arising from the new academic structure. Therefore, collaboration between parents and teachers becomes a crucial factor to ensure adequate support to our youngsters to get rid of their challenges ahead.

Delia Broadway has already established a concrete relationship with their students’ parents through the Parent-Teacher Association. Our PTA chairman, Mr. Mahmood, has worked dedicatedly with

all committee members to organize a great variety of activities for our students and parents. These include religious class, a local day trip, voluntary services and also the publishing of newsletters. All of these provide valuable opportunities for our parents and teachers to develop a closer relationship and also to share their experiences in nurturing young people. Of course, our school personnel would also like to hear the parents’ feelings about or comments on the New Senior Secondary Curriculum, and such thoughts are a vital component in our review.

My previous experience in other Delia schools helps me a lot in adjusting myself to this ‘new’ school. Teachers and students have also given me great support in carrying out the school’s policies. We aim to work hand in hand with the parents to provide quality education to our students.

Mr. LO K.C.

Message from the Principal

Communication is the most important element in building a successful relationship with our children. The true essence of communication is the ‘exchange of ideas and opinion’. Many times, parents still use the same approach they received when they were younger on their children. However, in handling teenagers, we, as parents, have to remind ourselves that they have grown up and that a different approach should be applied. They may feel that you are treating them like a child and are not giving them a chance to express their thoughts or simply not listening to them at all. They may end up giving you answers such as “I’m fine”, “I don’t know” and “Nothing”. The most common are “Whatever you say” and “You just don’t understand.” Therefore, to encourage your teen to talk, tell him or her that your purpose of the conversation is to find out how he or she feels and what he or she is thinking. Start the conversation by asking open-ended questions.

Secondly, our busy lifestyles might have given our

children the impression that we do not have time to listen to their problems. This is because whenever they wanted to talk to us, the response they would get is “Not now” or “I’m busy right now.” Perhaps we promised to listen to them but we did not. Parents may not realize that the more we send our child away, the more they will not bother us with their problems and questions. Our child needs a solution now, not in a week, a month or a year. Teenagers may not know how to handle certain situations; therefore, they come to us for help, advice and, most of all, emotional support.

Lastly, we, as parents, should understand their feelings and thoughts in order to relate to them. We need to convince our child that we indeed care, want to listen, and will be there for him or her. An important fact to know is that the way we respond to our child will determine if they will come to us for answers and advice next time.

Communicating with Your Teenager

Ms. LUCAS Arlene

PTA Newsletter 3

ParentsTeachers Interview

PTA Newsletter4

The remarkable inner structure of ancient Chinese architecture

Lunch buffet at the restaurant

Nice smile!

Day Trip

Nan Lian GardenKHALID Mashal (S6A)

As far as I can remember, my family and I have joined the PTA picnic ever since I was in Form 1. Each time we have gone with my friend Harkiran and her family as well. The PTA Picnic is a great opportunity to escape the busy life of studying and working and to enjoy a great time with our family, which many working people in Hong Kong can’t manage to do. This year I’m having my public exam, but I still wanted to relax before the exam.

We first went to a beautiful garden, called the Nan Lian Garden, in Diamond Hill. It’s a beautiful garden full of traditional Chinese architecture, ponds and even landscaping styles, very nice for sightseeing and taking pictures. Although in the Garden my family and my friend, Harkiran’s family decided to view different spots, we kept bumping into each other and having photo sessions. The most beautiful part of the garden was a golden pagoda around in the middle of the garden, it looked so magical, and it reminded me of the Golden Temple in India.

Next we went to a restaurant called Café Muse and enjoyed a semi-buffet lunch meal. What I meant by that is that we had to order one main course dish; however, the appetizers, some drinks and desserts were unlimited [buffet]. The food was very delicious, I enjoyed the dessert the most, the cakes especially. The label said they were homemade, so I give credit to those who made them. The restaurant itself was a very beautiful place to take pictures in and look around, so that’s what we did; we took pictures of everything. Also, while leaving the restaurant, we saw a gorgeous couple having a wedding photo shoot nearby, which proved how beautiful the environment

PTA Newsletter 5

around us was, and it was a very rare event for me to see a wedding photo shoot going on randomly, so this made my day too.

We then went to the Kadoorie Farm in Tai Po. When we first entered, we took a group PTA photo, then we were allowed to roam around. At first my family and Harkiran’s family walked around a bit and looked at some plants, then we came across this room where you could do artworks using fallen leaves, used papers, fallen acorns and so on, to raise people’s awareness on environmental protection. So we were urged to make something. I made a lion, with a fire-red neck-line, feet, and tail. We left our artworks there, so if you ever visit the Kadoorie Farm, tell me if you saw my lion.

My mom is more of a botanical person, while Harkiran’s parents like animals, so we decided to part ways and view different things. So my family and I saw different types of plants from flowers that smell wonderful to plants that smell horrible. Fruits and vegetables were also displayed, and it was very funny to see how different some vegetables look over there and in our fridge. I guess this is because the plants were handled in a different way, or they may be a different type from what we eat. But in the area where my family and Harkiran’s family bumped into each other was where no one could resist: the three monkeys. Each of them had a name, I could only remember Rosie; I forgot the other monkeys’ names. But it was very funny to see the resemblance of the monkeys with my brother (hahaha).

Other than the monkeys, the farm had giant pigs, birds, cows, goats and so on. The farm also had walking trails. My family and I did try one of the walking trails, but gave up early as we got tired. Nevertheless. while walking, we could enjoy the beautiful scene right around us.

This PTA Picnic was a wonderful experience. I’m looking forward to the next one even though I will have already graduated from school, and I hope all you readers could join us next time too.

Save Asian turtles, save the environment! Group photo at Kadoorie Farm

Cypress trees symbolize longevity

The happy father!

Let’s relax!

Family gathering! Handcraft activity!

At the entrance of Nan Lian Garden

Hi!

Social ServiceVisiting Elderly in Tsuen Wan

Team members led by School Social Worker, Mr. Ip Johnny

PTA Newsletter6

The PTA invited Mr Abidi HASAN to give a series of five sessions of Religious Class on Islam.

Religious classEvaluationLet’s take a picture

Where is the target? Long and winding road!See, the target is above the staircase

PTA Newsletter 7

PTA Newsletter8

More than one hundred of our S5 NCS students (now S6) took part in the GCSE-Chinese examination in June 2011. The results were satisfactory: 89.7% of the candidates passed the examination and half of them have scored either grade A or grade A*. By the time they took the GCSE-Chinese examination,

they did not know if their results would be accepted by JUPAS under the New Senior Secondary Structure.

Lately, the EDB announced that “all UGC-funded institutions will continue to accept alternative Chinese qualifications including results of the GCSE-Chinese for students who have met the specified circumstances.” The minimum acceptable grade

What Does GCSE-ChineseMean to Our Students?

required by most of the universities in Hong Kong is Grade C or above. Some universities, like HKU and UST, even require grade E only.

It was said that NCS students could only use GCSE-Chinese results for admission to local universities. Most employers complain that the GCSE-Chinese is too low to meet their requirement. Police Force, for example, requires the candidates to sit for another Chinese test of much higher level, despite adding extra marks to them for their native language.

However, GCSE-Chinese examination is the elementary stage for second language learners. Candidates may further pursue their study in Chinese language of higher levels and sit for GCE-AS and GCE-AL Chinese in future.

Mr. LAU KC

The famous American animators and screenwriters, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, once wrote in their famous TV series, South Park, “Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it.”

Up to now, my best experience as a teacher happened to me 14

years ago in Glee Path. My best experience as a school administrator happened to me in Broadway in the past 11 years. The similarity between these two amazing and challenging experiences is that they arrived out of the blue.

Recalling the best time in my life, I cannot agree more with Trey Parkers and Matt Stone’s statement that the thing that matters most to us is the time we spend together.

I love, first of all, to chat with kids, especially the kids in Broadway. They are innocent and direct. They tell you everything they believe in. I learn that they can go to the point directly as long as you walk a bit more slowly in the corridor so that they can talk to you in a

Trust Sets Us Apart

Dr. Chan KP

minute. We all know that Broadwayers are expressive.

I also enjoy my time with my colleagues very much. I find this to be true even in the times when we launched new initiatives, top-down or bottom-up. That was why our meetings could be so brief.

The time with parents, nevertheless, needs to be nourished. People working in the school try everything to draw parents to the school, but they are the stakeholders we know least about when it comes to what they really need.

My trust in the children helps me understand them. My trust in my colleagues helps me explain to them what we need to do together. Ironically, the trust from parents sets us apart.

I believe that parents trust us. They give their children to us; the school is where their children are being influenced longer than during the time they spend at home. If trust really sets us apart, the physical presence of parents in the school can be substituted by other means. Other Broadwayers should learn how to hear the parents’ voices, and parents should also learn how to voice out what they think, what they need, and what they want.