17 May 2017

Island School’s 50th Anniversary Book Now on Sale

Find out what  teachers are doing today that inspires students, read about interesting alumni and what Island School students were doing in Wan Chai 50 years ago in Island School’s 50th anniversary book!

The book now on sale is not a complete history of the school, instead the articles reflect what it means to be part of the Island School community and the effect it has on individuals.

In the section ‘Seven Interesting People’, alumnus Melanie Wilson, Doctor of Medicine and Olympic Rower, is interviewed. She is quoted as saying, “My school friends are still my closest friends” despite the fact she has spent many hundreds of hours with junior doctors and her Great British rowing team.

The Undersecretary for the Environment, Christine Loh (also an Island School alumnus) talks about her Island School teachers who encouraged her to try things she never thought she would like i.e. poetry and shot put. She said, “Mrs. Poland was the one who said – you have got to do this [shot put] because I could move fast and I thought wow this is such an inelegant sport. I wanted to run and do cool things. But she encouraged me to try it and I became the shot put champion!”

Ms Loh’s interview goes on to explain the massive amount of work she has done to improve air quality in Hong Kong. There are also interviews with Siri developer Mohammed Adboolcarim, Justin Sweeting, Founder of Clockenflap, pop star Fiona Sit and TV presenter Dominic Lau (all alumni).

There are interviews with current students who introduce their families and explain how being in a House is an extension of that. Teachers talk about the impact students have on them and the students do the same for teachers. There is also a section called ‘Postcards from the Past’ in which alumni and current students correspond.

Beautiful photos taken by students of school life and the environment surrounding the building divide the book’s sections of interviews and conversations.

You can purchase your copy of the Island School 50th Anniversary Book from the PTA Bookshop or the general office today, $100.