Welcome to Year 10

Welcome to Year 10!

 

Dear Parents and Students,

I hope you had a restful and stress-free summer and are feeling positive about the new school year. I am writing to welcome your child to a new school year and Year 10. I am excited about taking over as their Head of Year and look forward to opportunities along with the students over the two-year course ahead.

I have taught/interacted with many students in this year group. Our Year 10 tutor team is already known to many of you, with them having been with your child last year. Our team will help ensure the students’ transition into Year 10 is smooth.

As you might be aware, this is an important year for our students as they embark on their two-year (I)GCSE and BTEC courses, and the first of four crucial years that will set the stage for your child’s future.

 

Key Focus Areas:

Attendance, Punctuality & Organisation: As a school, we aim for an attendance of 95%. Being organised means ensuring complete uniform is worn, equipment is packed, deadlines are met, and students are prepared for one-to-ones and subject teacher appointments.

Independence & Responsibility: Throughout the year, our goal will be that all students feel confident in their new courses, demonstrate independence, and take responsibility for their learning.

Aspirational Targets: In the first half-term, students will be setting their aspirational targets for each of their subjects after a conversation with their teachers. These targets will be reflected upon throughout the year in one-to-ones with their tutor teachers and are there to help focus and inspire our students. 

Personal Branding Portfolios: From Year 10 onwards, we encourage students to begin building their personal branding portfolios. This is a valuable tool that will help them craft compelling personal statements for university applications in Year 12. We want students to think beyond just academic achievements and showcase their unique strengths and experiences. This could include involvement in sports teams, ECAs, community service, running a stall at a fair, learning a new skill or language, running a business, musical or drama skills, or any other activity they feel is credible and reflects their passions and talents. By documenting these experiences and reflecting on their impact, students will develop a strong understanding of their personal brand and be well prepared for their future endeavours.

 

Term 1 Key Dates:

26 Aug 24:        Year 10 Meet the Team evening (Parents)

9 – 20 Sep 24:  Setting aspirational targets

11 Sep 24:         University Fair DC

24 Sep 24:        Y10 tutor reports published

7 Oct 24:           Y9–13 sports day

19-27 Oct 24:   Half-term break

11-15 Nov 24:   Week Without Walls

28 Nov 24:       Short reports published

 

My hope for this year is that all students enjoy school, develop their friendships and are consistently mindful of themselves and others. 

I have included below messages from our tutor team, who will be the direct contact to support your child.

 

We look forward to a successful and productive year ahead! 

 

Best regards,

Amrith Prabhu

Head of Year 10

 

Y10D 

Dear Parents / Guardians

I’m very happy to be able to re-introduce myself as a Year 10 tutor for the 2024–25 academic year. It has been so rewarding to watch my tutor group grow from those first few days in Year 8 to a position where they are about to embark on their (I)GCSE courses. This is always a challenging year for our students as they begin their first major set of academic qualifications, but I know that they will meet this challenge with the same resilience, bravery and good humour that they have shown over the two years I have been their form tutor.

To those who are new to DBIS, or returning after a period away, welcome! I look forward to helping your child settle into their new school quickly and helping them to both reach their academic goals and become an active participant in our school community. This is my third year at DBIS, and I have had two hugely rewarding years primarily as an English teacher. Before coming to Hong Kong I taught in Doncaster in the north of England for four years; prior to that, I was a researcher into language disorders and also worked in the pastoral team in a Sixth Form college. 

Outside of school, I enjoy many sports, including football, cricket and athletics, and in addition to my teaching and tutorial responsibilities, I will be continuing to develop the school’s AYP programme as the AYP Lead. In previous years, I have run ECAs ranging from creative writing clubs to improvised comedy clubs, athletics and football, and I really value this side of school life. As an English teacher, I also aim to encourage a love of reading in all my students as I know what a huge difference that can make both to a child’s academic achievements and their personal development. In Year 10, it has the added bonus of providing students with some well-deserved relaxation time in between the hard work they are putting into their (I)GCSE courses!

I’m looking forward to working together over the next year to help and support our students through the first stage of their (I)GCSE journey!

Andy Buddery

 

Y10B

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the new school year at Discovery Bay International School. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy a relaxing summer break.

I am pleased to continue as your child’s Year 10 tutor. This will be my fourth year at DBIS, where I have been teaching Mathematics to students in Years 7 through 13. Before joining DBIS, I worked at a modern mixed grammar school, teaching Maths to children aged 11 to 18.

Having worked with this student group since Year 7, I am fortunate to already know the students very well. I look forward to supporting your child through this important next step into the start of their (I)GCSEs. We will continue to have our one-on-one tutoring sessions, and I have already arranged the schedules with each student.

I would encourage all students to get involved in the many school clubs and extracurricular activities (ECAs) that will be starting up. These provide wonderful opportunities for students to develop skills like leadership, communication and collaboration, as well as simply have fun.

To help ensure your child’s success, we ask that you work with us to maintain excellent attendance and punctuality. Please review your child’s diary regularly to stay up to date on homework assignments and other communications from teachers. Additionally, please sign the diary once a week.

As your child’s tutor, I welcome you to contact me through the student planner or by email should you have any questions or concerns.

I look forward to an engaging and memorable year ahead.

 

Sincerely,
Sarah Lewis

 

Y10I

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

I’d like to reintroduce myself as a Year 10 tutor and Spanish teacher. I’m excited to continue working with the same form as last year and look forward to supporting our fantastic students as they transition to Key Stage 4. This will be my second year and DBIS, and I truly enjoyed a rewarding year getting to know the school and the students.

Before coming to Hong Kong I taught in London, where I was a teacher of modern languages at WGSB for fifteen years. My academic background is in languages and Mathematics. I graduated from King’s College London with a Modern Foreign Languages and Education degree. Also, I earned a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics from the Open University.

I am also passionate about astronomy, and I have been an amateur astrophotographer for many years.

I’m excited about the opportunity to collaborate over the coming year to help our students excel in their education. Having already built strong relationships with the students, I look forward to supporting your child through this important chapter in their academic journey.

 Juan Fierros