Ask a bunch of entrepreneurs what drives them and most will say their passion, their belief in whatever it is they are sharing with clients. Visual artist MJ Lee is no exception. As co-founder of Peeps Studios and creative director for Nothing Much, MJ is all about proactive collaboration, and he finds himself in the right place at the right time. "Nothing Much is a marketing and entertainment company, and Peeps Studios is a creative, design and lifestyle agency,” MJ opens. “We aim to bridge the gap between art and business, and connect people together. We know how to party and we know how to bring people to the party! “Our motto is ‘Life Is Simple,’” MJ adds. “We can make everything from event planning and execution to social media management (Instagram to Xiaohongshu) easier. We have the skills to help clients create content, build brand awareness, find sponsorship opportunities... Our strength is that we operate a fully diversified business; our area of expertise is broad, so we can offer clients multiple solutions.” Partnered with local entrepreneur Paul Kohli, founder of Nothing Much and co-founder of Peeps Studios, MJ is currently working on creatives for Perrier-Jouët. The team are also responsible for bringing Naked Flowers to Hong Kong: NAKED Inc’s celebrated, fully interactive, digital-art exhibition is showing through October 27 at 1881 Heritage, TST. “We’ve worked with brands and local celebrities such as Audemars Piguet and Billionaire Boys Club, and in March 2023, I created paintings, key visuals and main event logos for the LACMA Art Basel party as a contributing artist,” MJ says. “This one-night-only event brought together the global creative community and is credited with restarting Hong Kong’s art scene after the pandemic.” On the entertainment side, Nothing Much specialises in securing professional, multi-talented performers and musicians for all kinds of events. “One of our key services is booking artists,” says MJ, “and there are plans to bring a roster of global artists to Asia in 2025.” Looking to the future, MJ hopes to keep growing the business. “We aspire to work with diverse artists, athletes and socialites, while also forging partnerships and collaborating with renowned global brands,” he says. “Simultaneously, I aim to host exceptional events and parties, all the while nurturing my own artistic growth and development. Anyone who likes the sound of what we do at Nothing Much and Peeps should know that we are currently looking for interns.” It’s clear MJ has a “work hard, play hard” ethic. So, what does the 23-year DB resident do to relax? “I find solace in a multitude of activities, including travelling, capturing moments through photography, painting, drawing and constructing terrariums for my pet reptiles,” he says. Life is simple.

The skills teens need to develop in order to excel in the workplace post-COVID may not be the ones they learn in university. Dorothy Veitch reports Living in Discovery Bay has fantastic advantages for teens. Young people growing up here acquire an international set of friends, excellent schooling, exposure to different cultures and, until very recently, amazing travel opportunities. As parents, we make every effort to prepare our ‘kids’ for life ahead. Before they fly the nest, we teach them to cook simple meals, use a washing machine, budget a monthly allowance – and to be both compassionate and resilient. But are we doing enough to ensure their future employability in a post-COVID world? With the pandemic causing a projected loss of 195 million jobs, along with dismaying interruptions to education, preparing young people to earn and thrive when they enter the world of work requires our immediate attention. Sought-after skills The world we live and work in is increasingly volatile, uncertain and ambiguous. Our children are likely to enjoy longer life spans and working lives, very different work opportunities and more career changes. The World Economic Forum predicts that more than 1 billion jobs, almost one-third of all jobs worldwide, will be transformed by technology in the next decade. Young people will need a highly specific skills set to respond to this reality with the ingenuity to earn an income. Traditional ‘hard’ skills, like writing, mathematics and science, continue to have a place in the worlds of academia and of work, but employers are increasingly focused on ‘soft skills’ that are applicable across multiple disciplines and careers. Soft skills include the ability to communicate well and adapt to changing circumstances, and the willingness to learn through experience, problem-solve and think entrepreneurially. The top five employment skills identified by The World Economic Forum as being most in demand by 2021 are complex problem solving, work, critical thinking, creativity, people management and coordinating with others. The top three skills are considered absolutely essential for all teenagers to cultivate. Creativity, now considered the third most important job skill, has jumped from tenth place in 2015. Emotional intelligence and cognitive thinking did not make the top 10 ranking in 2015, they now place sixth and tenth respectively. New ways of learning This changing environment calls for a transformation in how we think about learning. Young people must ‘learn to learn’ in order to develop the abilities required to gain new skills and adapt, which will help them secure work opportunities. They must also ‘learn to discern’ between reliable information and that which is false or misleading. Skill #1: Learn to learn: To participate and thrive in a rapidly evolving world, young people must become power learners. Learning to learn helps them rapidly gain skills and knowledge to adapt to changes and succeed. This skill is particularly important as the COVID-19 pandemic causes dramatic shifts in the work opportunities available. When it comes to learning performance, 40% is due to metacognition – organising and guiding one’s own learning processes, thinking and actions – but most teaching methods do not prioritise these skills as myths persist that learning relies on innate intelligence, rather than on developing skills and habits. Students need to be encouraged to take charge of their learning journey by applying a growth mindset which strengthens their agility and openness to learning. This helps them guide their own learning and translate this knowledge into action. Skill #2 Learn to discern: Bombarded by information, young people must have the skills to identify and resist manipulative content, in addition to the self-belief to call out misinformation when they see it. Learning to discern sets teens up to become resourceful employees, leaders and entrepreneurs. During the pandemic, perhaps as never before, young people are weighing information, including misleading information about health risks, to make decisions about their futures. Inability to recognise disinformation and misinformation can negatively impact real-life decisions and actions, target emotional triggers and feed confirmation bias. When young people receive information, they need to have the healthy information engagement skills to check those sources before spreading the information or pursuing opportunities. The secret of success In addition to becoming power learners and discerning thinkers, young people need to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets. Exposure to reflective practice and problem-based learning will help them achieve this, and become better able to identify earning opportunities. Reflective practice is a teaching method that prioritises time for critical reflection. Young people need to be given opportunities to pause and reflect on their progress towards learning goals, and on their ability to apply skills learnt. Teens need to be given the opportunity to learn new concepts and skills over time through practice. Authentic learning takes place gradually, rather than at one discernible point in a curriculum or training programme. Young people with access to enabling conditions for learning – including critical reflection, feedback and support from peers – can develop the values, habits and self-reliance to become power learners. Problem-based learning sees teens engaged in solving relevant, real-world problems, and building a can-do attitude in the process. Real-world projects have the added benefits of providing concrete work-related experiences and building networks, which can help young people develop entrepreneurial mindsets to overcome barriers to earning and employment. Beyond the classroom Many of us spent the first third of our lives acquiring the college degrees we needed to find jobs. These degrees are the stamps on our professional passports that pave the way for the remaining two-thirds of our journey. This implies that the nature of our work, along with the skills and knowledge required to execute it, remains unchanged for a lifetime – which of course is no longer true. Our children can expect to have many different jobs and careers throughout their professional lives – perhaps even at the same time, with the maturing of the gig economy. Arguably then, the future of work will not be about college degrees; it will be about job skills. Finding the right people with the right skills and mindset is a serious challenge for any enterprise. Using a four-year degree as a proxy for employability means relying on talent with potentially redundant skills rather than lifelong learners with ever-relevant skills. If we shift our focus from degrees to skills, we’ll enable a bigger more diverse workforce, and we will help close the all too familiar opportunity and employment gaps. This will mean transitioning to a skills-based education and employment infrastructure that embraces not just credentials and certification but fitness-for-job and employment as outcomes. In recent years, many corporation giants, including Ernst & Young, Google and IBM, have embraced\ this kind of thinking and have increased hiring from alternate talent pools. Several more are investing in continuous learning for the workforce. Others, like Infosys, following COVID-19, have already created free, online platforms to provide job training and apprenticeship opportunities for job-seekers and to connect them with employers offering them new work streams and career pathways. According to the World Economic Forum’s Jobs of Tomorrow report (2020), we can expect a rapid influx of roles at the forefront of the data and AI economy, as well as new roles in engineering, cloud computing and product development. Emerging professions also reflect the continuing importance of human interaction in the new economy, giving rise to greater demand for care economy jobs, and people-oriented roles in marketing, sales and content production. These jobs need talent with relevant skills, and importantly these skills can be learnt either through apprenticeship programmes or on the job by those without college degrees.

Ever wondered why we celebrate Chinese New Year the way we do? Samantha Wong goes back in time to find out  First up, a few facts. Based on the lunar rather than the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year (CNY) begins on the first day of the new moon, which appears any time between January 21 and February 20 each year. Also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, this celebration dates back thousands of years and it is steeped in myth, legend and folklore. Chinese communities all over the globe celebrate CNY and it’s a major holiday here in Hong Kong (February 12 to 15 this year). During the festivities, we get together and welcome the new year through ancient customs that are believed to bring good fortune, prosperity and happiness. The Jade Emperor’s race If you’re familiar with the Chinese zodiac calendar, you’ll know that it has a cycle of 12 years, and each year has an animal as its symbol – and you’ll know the folk tale that explains how these animals came to be. It goes like this… Once upon a time the Jade Emperor called a race, decreeing that the first 12 animals to swim across a fast-flowing river would each have a year named in their honour. Thirteen animals lined up on the riverbank – the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig and Cat. The Cat was pushed into the water by the Rat, and excluded from the race. The Rat reached the opposite bank first, by riding on the Ox’s back, which is why he is the first of the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac. The animals always come in the same order – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. So, 2021 is the Year of the Ox, 2020 was the Year of the Rat and 2022 will be the Year of the Tiger. The last Ox years were 2009 and 1997. Monsters and demons Have you ever wondered why on Lunar New Year’s Eve, we decorate our homes in red and wear new and festive red clothing? Well… it all goes back to ancient times when there was a monster named Nián, who lived at the bottom of the sea. Nián walked the land once a year, on Lunar New Year’s Eve, to terrorise villages and feast on animals and humans. One year, a beggar came to seek shelter when everyone was hurrying away to hide out in the mountains. An old woman took the beggar in and, in return, he promised to chase Nián away. While the villagers fled, the beggar decorated their front doors with red paper scrolls. At midnight, Nián lumbered into the village but stopped short when he saw the bright red decorations. He was afraid, and when the beggar started setting off firecrackers, he became even more afraid. When he saw the beggar, jumping up and down, dressed in red, laughing at him, Nián became so terrified, he ran away. The villagers came back the next day to find their homes intact and Nián vanquished. Since then, it’s become traditional to decorate our homes and doors in red on Lunar New Year’s Eve and to set off firecrackers (or attend firework displays). Over time the custom of hanging red paper scrolls at CNY spread since they were believed to provide protection not just against Nián but also from the many other demons who wander the Earth at night. These demons must return to the underworld at dawn, the entrance to which is under a giant peach tree. Two gods guard the entrance, and it is their job to feed any demons who have harmed humans during the night to the tigers. To safeguard their homes, people began to carve the gods’ names into peach-wood tablets. Placing them outside their doors was enough to scare the demons away. Nowadays, you can see these scrolls on the doors of nearly every household during CNY. Lucky red packets The origin of lai see giving harks back to a time when an evil sp named Sui would appear at children’s bedsides on Lunar N Year’s Eve. If Sui patted the heads of sleeping children three times, the children would get a terrible, often terminal fever. Fortunately, one couple happened upon a remedy. On Lunar N Year’s Eve, their daughter had been playing with some gold coins and when she fell asleep, they placed the coins on red paper a left them by her pillow. When Sui appeared, the coins flashed a frightened him away. This is why we give money wrapped in red paper (lai see) to children on Lunar New Year’s Eve. Gifts from the gods Hanging scrolls emblazoned with the 福 character , meaning happiness or good fortune, is another important tradition at CNY. What can we expect of 2021, the Year of the Ox? Importantly, the Ox is strong and robust, he is considered one of the most naturally healthy animals in the Chinese zodiac, so we should be in a good place to combat COVID-19. The Ox is hardworking, methodical and self-disciplined – if we follow his lead, we can expect good things. The Ox brings stability to relationships and casts a favourable eye on long-term financial investments. But you’ll rarely see the character hung upright. Why? Well, here’s another story for you… One CNY a very long time ago, the Emperor ordered every household to decorate their homes by pasting the character 福 on their doors. On Lunar New Year’s Day, he sent his soldiers to check that he had been obeyed. The soldiers found that one illiterate family had hung the character upside down. The Emperor ordered that the family be put to death, which is when the Empress stepped in. The Empress realised that hanging the character 福 upside down was in fact highly auspicious. This is because the character for ‘upside down,’ 倒 is a homonym of the character for ‘to arrive,’ 到 . So, by hanging the character 福 (good fortune) upside down, we are saying that good fortune is arriving. The explanation made sense to the Emperor and he set the family free. From then on, it’s become customary to hang the character 福 upside down at CNY, both for good fortune and in remembrance of the clever Empress. Another way that we attract good fortune at CNY is, of course, through the lion dance ceremony. The lion dance brings good fortune for the coming year to everyone who watches or takes part in it. But have you ever wondered why? Well, it all goes back to a dream the Emperor had one night after a day in battle. He dreamt of a fierce, strange-looking beast, playing. It was larger than a dog but smaller than a horse. The next day, the Emperor sent for his advisers and asked them about the beast. They told him it was a lion. That very evening, after another victorious battle, the Emperor had the same dream again. In the morning, he went to his most experienced advisors and asked them what the dream meant. They explained that the lion was a gift from the gods. Since there were no lions in China, the gods had given one to the Emperor – they wanted him to have everything. Believing that the lion empowered his army, the Emperor ordered his advisors to make a replica of the beast out of paper, cloth and bamboo. It was so big that two men could fit inside it, making it appear to walk. When the Emperor next went into battle, the lion came too and the army was again victorious. The lion was seen to bring good fortune, and this is why it remains a symbol of happiness and prosperity to this day. Kung Hei Fat Choy !

The benefits of bilingual education extend far beyond the acquisition of fluency in a second language. Elizabeth Jerabek reports Raising and educating children in a culturally and linguistically dense community like Discovery Bay is a privilege but it can often feel overwhelming. Many of us would like our children to become fluent in two languages, for instance Cantonese and English, but this can seem like too big an ask, particularly if we are considering an immersive learning environment where the child’s second language (Cantonese or English) would be the language of instruction. Can children learn enough in a second language in order to succeed and do well in school? The short answer to that question is ‘Yes,’ though you need to be in it for the long haul – it can take five or more years for a child to master a second language. The next question, then, is, ‘Is it worth it?’ Will the long-term benefits children gain from being bilingual outweigh the challenges of getting them there? Academic performance One of the leading proponents of bilingual education is Dr Virginia Collier, Professor Emerita of Bilingual/ Multicultural/ ESL Education at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. After years of teaching English as a second language in US public schools, Virginia – who grew up as an expat kid in Central America, speaking both her native US English and Spanish– set out to answer the questions: How long does it take non-native language learners to become academically able to do well in school in a second language, and what are the things that influence that process? Virginia and her research partner Dr Wayne Thomas spent 32 years examining 7.5 million student records in their effort to answer these questions. They designed a longitudinal study that allowed them to follow the academic progress of English learners of all language backgrounds from kindergarten through to the end of secondary school in 36 school districts in 16 US states. The results of their 2017 study demonstrate that English-only and short-term transitional bilingual programmes close about half of the achievement gap between non-native language learners and native language speakers. In contrast, high-quality, long-term bilingual programmes in both the students’ first and second languages close the performance gap after five to six years of schooling. The data also shows that students in these long-term bilingual programmes often do better in all of their academic subjects than do native language speakers who receive no bilingual training. Developmental psychology research into bilingual education attributes better academic performance in bilingual students to enhanced development of three cognitive functions: executive control, theory of mind and episodic memory. Executive control The Harvard University Center on the Developing Child defines executive control as the cognitive processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions and juggle multiple tasks. Like a stoplight at a busy intersection, the brain uses this skill set to monitor situations in order to filter distractions, prioritise tasks and control impulses. In other words, executive control is the brain’s ability to switch between tasks in order to prioritise the appropriate response to a set of stimuli while inhibiting inappropriate responses. Developmental psychologists believe that bilingual education helps stimulate the development of executive control as bilingual children have to continually monitor situations (such as which language is spoken when and by whom) in order to prioritise the appropriate response (speaking or responding in the situationally correct language), while inhibiting the inappropriate response (actively not speaking the other language). For example, a child may say goodbye to their mum in one language, but may say hello to their teacher and classmates in another language. Bilingual education provides greater opportunities for children to strengthen their executive control skill set, which can help them later in life in more complex situations that may require greater self-regulation and emotional control in order to sustain attention to complete the tasks required to achieve a desired goal. Theory of mind Perhaps one of the most interesting abilities that begins to emerge during early childhood is children’s ability to appreciate the perspective of other individuals. This ability to appreciate another’s mental state and, as a result, to explain and predict another’s behaviour is known as theory of mind. While executive control helps bilingual children monitor a situation and respond appropriately – I say ‘Goodbye’ to my mum in English but I say ‘Néih hóu’ to my teacher in Cantonese – theory of mind helps bilingual children socially understand which response is appropriate and why. When I say goodbye to my mum, I say ‘I love you’ because she’s my parent; but when I say goodbye to my teacher I don’t say ‘Ngo oi nei’ because my teacher is not part of my family. Studies show that language competence in children predicts the development of theory of mind– and that the acquisition of theory of mind is delayed in children with specific language impairment. In other words, the better a child can communicate, the better they can understand social situations and the mental state of another. According to a 2004 study of 31 bilingual and 29 monolingual pre-schoolers, bilingual pre-schoolers are better able to predict others behaviour in the future and they have a better understanding of why others behaved the way they did in the past. This ability may make it easier for bilingual students to understand when and why their teacher wants them to do something, and may make it easier for them to collaborate with and learn from their peers. Episodic memory In the same way that it may be easier for bilingual children to anticipate what might happen in the future based on the behaviour of others, it may also be easier for bilingual children to remember what has happened in the past. Psychologists categorise memory as either working memory or episodic memory. Working memory is active and relevant only for a short period of time, whereas episodic memory is longer lasting, it allows us to recall and re-experience a specific event or situation. Research indicates that bilinguals may struggle to remember information from verbal episodes if they are asked to retrieve that memory in a language other than the one they used to form and encode the memory. But for non-verbal episodes, which may be encoded as memories through some other stimuli such as sight, taste, smell, or touch, bilinguals are at an advantage, likely due to better executive control. In a 2012 study, designed to encourage the participants to encode a visual scene in their memory as a non-verbal episode rather than a verbal episode, bilingual and monolingual adults were asked to perform a picture recall task. Participants were shown a series of pictures depicting complex scenes that were not easily labelled or described, and the participants were not given much time to view each scene. Moreover, the participants did not know they would later have to recall the pictures, which decreased the chances of them labelling the pictures and using language as strategy to remember the scene later. The results of the study showed that bilingual participants recalled more pictures than monolinguals, and, within the bilingual group, early and more bilingual experience was associated with better recall. Similar research indicates that that bilingualism can also protect against memory decline, since bilinguals who have Alzheimer’s tend to show memory-related symptoms at a later age than monolinguals. So back to the original question: Will the long-term benefits children gain from being bilingual outweigh the challenges of getting them there? That’s for you to decide but I’m leaning towards a ‘Hai.’

Justine Barlow, founding Head of Academy at HKILA, reveals why she rejects the ‘one size fits all’ approach to teaching and learning PHOTOS BY Baljit Gidwani – www.evoqueportraits.com Historically, the education experiences for students with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) can be said to have been one of either exclusion (one in which students are prevented from or denied access to education) or segregation (one in which students are educated in separate spaces, following programmes designed specifically to respond to their various needs, away from typically developing students). In the 1960s, educators began to favour integration, which sees students with SEND placed in mainstream classrooms, where they are expected to adjust to a standardised ‘one size fits all’ approach to education. In 1994, UNESCO concluded that the experiences of children with SEND in education were in urgent need of review, and called for ‘education for all,’ regardless of physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other differences. This resulted in The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO 1994), in which the international community agreed to endorse the approach of inclusive schools. ‘Inclusion’ replaced the term ‘integration’ and the quality of education for children with disabilities in mainstream schools was targeted for systematic improvement. By the early 2000s, UNESCO’s definition of inclusion had developed into the ‘removal of barriers to high quality education for all children and the process of celebrating and responding to diversity in schools.’ This ethos was my springboard for establishing HKILA in Discovery Bay in 2010. I made a conscious decision to move towards creating a school that delivered an effective, inclusive and adaptable curriculum that catered for the needs of all students. At the heart of the school is the absolute belief that ‘we’re better together.’ Before we can enter into a discussion on inclusive education today, we have to understand what inclusive education is. The Education Bureau here in Hong Kong draws its definition from a 2000 OFSTED report, Evaluating Educational Inclusion: Guidance for Inspectors and Schools: ‘An educationally inclusive school is one in which the teaching and learning achievements, attitudes and wellbeing of every young person matters. Effective schools are educationally inclusive schools. This shows, not only in their performance, but also in their ethos and their willingness to offer new opportunities to pupils who may have experienced previous difficulties.’ Clearly then, inclusive education is a broad concept and one that needs to be considered from both a practical and rights perspective. THE BENEFITS OF INCLUSION Research consistently shows that schools that practice effective inclusion support excellence for all students. Inclusive classrooms can (and do) impact positively on the social and emotional development of typically developing students by promoting acceptance of human difference, tolerance of others and growth in self-esteem. At HKILA, I have witnessed these qualities develop in our students first hand. Not only that, I have seen how these qualities have fostered life-long friendships between students and their families. It is this that drives my team and I forward. Research also indicates that students with SEND who are taught in general education classes, academically outperform their peers educated in segregated settings. This is also true for students that spend a larger proportion of their school day alongside their typically developing peers in mathematics and language. SO WHAT’S NEW? The support available for students with SEND varies across Hong Kong’s private education sector. Some schools are very open about their limited support for students with SEND, others offer integrated activities, and a number of schools offer fully inclusive education for their students. Private schools tend to be smaller than public schools and so by default are better designed for inclusion. There are, of course, other benefits associated with smaller schools. At HKILA, smallclass sizes are non-negotiable. However, our commitment to keeping a high teacher: student ratio is, we believe, the most important element in effective inclusive education. Knowing our students’ strengths, weaknesses, personalities, preferences, likes and dislikes is essential to understanding how we can best motivate and support each of them individually and offer them a more enriching and rewarding education. A high teacher: student ratio is not exclusive to smaller schools and can be easily replicated in larger schools. In 2014, the Hong Kong Government published a Whole School Approach to Integrated Education paper outlining their commitment to supporting mainstream public schools develop an inclusive learning environment, along with curriculum guides and resources aimed at facilitating the learning of students with SEND. The document includes resources to support students with ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, and visual and hearing impairments in mainstream schools. There is limited general data available on how well the recommendations have been implemented, but current statistics show that the number of students with ASD in mainstream public schools has increased by 6,660 since 2010. There can be little doubt that attitudes towards students with SEND have changed for the better in the past few years. Although globally, there are countries that have been slow to move from segregation to inclusion, the number of students with SEND educated in inclusive settings is higher than ever before. Inclusive education has come a long way since Salamanca, but there is still work to be done. Analysis of research conducted in the UK on the experiences of children with ASD, found that although 71% of these students were placed in mainstreams schools, these schools were often ill-equipped to provide the quality support and provision necessary. Furthermore, research conducted just last year suggests that 27 years on, little advancement has been made when it comes to the further development of inclusive practice. So, what’s stopping us? MAKING IT HAPPEN! The benefits of inclusivity are well documented. So why is it then, that so many schools still struggle to implement effective inclusive education successfully? At HKILA we understand that effective inclusion requires a fundamental change in culture and instructional practice from everyone in the school community. It is a process dependent on collaboration, cooperation, responsibility and restructure. School leaders must work to address any concerns from parents or staff about the effects of inclusion on typically developing students and answer any questions they may raise in relation to academic progress, teacher time and attention and undesirable behaviour in the classroom. A comprehensive review of studies drawing on research from 26 countries into these concerns found that the academic progress of typically students was either not affected, or affected positively by inclusive education. Sharing this information is key in helping to change long held attitudes and beliefs. Schools must also work hard to ensure that staff are adequately skilled and trained to assist them in their development as inclusive practitioners and to cope with the challenges this undoubtedly brings. Curriculums should be designed to be flexible and creative, and offer equal opportunity for students to achieve learning outcomes. Consideration needs to be given to students’ learning styles as well as teaching approaches. For HKILA, this meant choosing a curriculum partner (Dimensions UK) that shared our ethos and worked with us to develop a tailor-made strength-based curriculum. Developed with the guidance of UK-trained therapists Speak Up! and Hands Up! are two specially-designed programmes, unique to HKILA, which aim to support and complement our core curriculum. Speak Up! sessions are designed to enhance receptive and expressive vocabulary, language fluency, speech articulation and social skills. The Hands Up! programme encourages the development of gross and fine motor skills, core muscle stability, hand-eye coordination, sensory integration and more. As part of these sessions, we recently incorporated a renowned US-based programme: Bal-A-Vis-X. Standing for Balance, Auditory and Visual Exercises, the programme addresses visual tracking deficiencies, auditory imprecision, impulsivity, balance and anxiety issues, and has been linked to significant improvements in behaviour, focus, attention spans, memory and academic results. There is no doubt that moving towards effective inclusion is challenging. But, as we have seen for ourselves, in doing so, schools enrich the experiences of all students. By implementing strength-based approaches, schools become places where educators foster the development of empathy, acceptance and tolerance. They become places where there is respect for others, high expectations and solid academic performance. They become places that motivate, engage and inspire students to aspire to excel. Excellence is for everyone. INCLUSIONARY Justine Barlow is the founding Head of Academy at HKILA, a private, DB-based international school that aims to make education accessible to all children. HKILA follows the latest UK National Curriculum objectives and caters for students from Year 1 to Year 9. It provides specialist education provision for students who need a little extra support, an online learning curriculum for students who prefer the flexibility of at-home learning, and a fun after-school programme. To find out more, visit www.studyhkila.edu.hk .

Family engagement will give students the home support they need to flourish in the new school year. James Tonkinson, Advancement Manager at Kellett School, reports. PHOTOS COURTESY OF Kellett School All times of transition, at any age and whatever form they take, can render us fragile, so it’s important that we look after ourselves and each other in these periods of change. Happily, these are also times that offer us the most potential for growth. The summer holidays mean many of us will be returning to Hong Kong after spending time in countries that are functioning with a level of pre-pandemic normalcy. Some students will be returning from extended periods in different countries, perhaps even having been enrolled in different schools. Our children will have the usual back to school nerves as they adjust to new classes, new teachers, new timetables and so on, and we also have to factor in friends who have moved away, a return to mask wearing after a mask-free holiday, not to mention pandemic fatigue. There are plenty of reasons to feel nervous and apprehensive at the beginning of the school year. With all of this in mind, here are some tips for a smooth back-to-school transition. BE PREPARED A week or so before school starts, get your children used to the bedtime routine and ensure they are getting enough sleep. We all thrive on certainty, rituals and routines. Trying to embed good sleep patterns, healthy meal times and time for rest, relaxation and play helps us feel our best. Try to keep screens out of bedrooms to help with this. Encourage your child to get back in touch with their old friends or if they’re new to the school, reach out to other students through the class parents. Connecting socially helps children to feel like they’re not alone and helps to validate feelings. Encourage your child to plan get-togethers with friends and to engage in hobbies or activities they really enjoy. For those returning from abroad, booking a meal in a favourite restaurant or planning a beach trip, camping trip or any previously enjoyed favourite Hong Kong activity can be a good way to get kids excited to be back in the city again. START A CONVERSATION Make sure you talk to your child about the return to school, listen, validate and provide reassurance. Sometimes our children may worry about things that seem insignificant to us. Listen with curiosity and compassion, and try not to jump in to solve problems straight away. Remind them to be kind to themselves by saying, “this is difficult, give yourself time to adjust, we can do it together” and look for the positives. Parents may expect some regression in younger children such as trouble sleeping, dressing themselves and going to the toilet at the beginning of the school year. These skills may be tested in the first few weeks. Most kids will get comfortable and bounce back to where they started. For all ages, it’s normal to have meltdowns in a safe space in the first few weeks of term. If these changes continue more than a few weeks, or if your child is persistently tearful, talk to the teachers to see how they are at school. KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP Before term starts, think about the level of support your child may need. Some students may already have a plan in place that has been drawn up with the help of teachers, counsellors and other staff. Ask the school how the support will continue and which staff will be there to help review the plan. Draw up a list of resources that may be of help to your child. Schools are acutely aware of the importance of supporting children’s wellbeing at these important times. Contact your school’s counselling team to get support early on, or reach out to one of the many excellent counsellors or psychologists in Hong Kong. Finally, what about children refusing to go to school? The first thing is to make sure we as parents manage our own level of anxiety. Children look to us to know the level of feeling they should be having. Our job is not to remove every problem from our children’s lives so that it is completely anxiety-free, but to help our children develop the skills to manage their own anxiety. When it’s time for school, parents have to ensure the boundary is clear: School is non-negotiable. Avoidance exacerbates anxiety. At the same time, saying, “you shouldn’t feel nervous,” or “there’s no need to feel afraid,” can belittle how they are feeling. If your child shares a feeling, try not to close it down but discuss it openly. Rather than using direct questions, try instead, “I remember when I was in P2, I felt …” “I was wondering whether…” “I noticed that…” Stay receptive, curious and open to what your child is saying. I’m sure that the experiences of the past couple of years, in particular the adaptability, resilience and independence children have had to develop, will stand them in good stead for the year ahead. Best wishes to all students for the academic year ahead and here’s hoping it’s home-learning-free. Kellett School is a co-ed, through-train, British international school with campuses on Hong Kong Island (4 to 11 years) and Kowloon Bay (4 to 18 years). If you would like to find out more about Kellett’s admissions process, contact the admissions team at admissions@kellettschool.com , call 3120 0700 or visit www.kellettschool.com .

Danny Harrington of ITS Education Asia has some solutions. Regardless of whether you agree with exams as a method of assessment or the use of grades to allow progression, the reality is that this academic path is very hard to avoid. Of course, none of it is compulsory and you can get out in the world and give things a go without qualifications. But the vast majority of people want at least the security of choice. Each step you take along the formal qualifications pathway, the more choice you theoretically have for your future occupation. And that means you will want to hit your grades. The simplest strategy is just to aim for maximum grades in every exam. However, this is not the only, nor always the most appropriate, approach. Every student is different and able to cope with different levels of workload. At different stages and in different systems you may be faced with very different ranges of subjects. The level of external support open to you will vary. And your own philosophy – from perfectionist to satisficer – will play into your goals as well. The first stage of planning then, requires that you understand all these variables and how they impact your approach. How much time do you have? How much time are you willing to expend? How will you split your prep time across different subjects? A huge part of the “secret to success” is simply to be organised. If you address these questions and lay out a clear study and revision timeline, you are a huge way towards achieving your goals. But be prepared to adjust as you go. What you thought you needed on day one may not be what you need on day 30. Set mini-goals to achieve along the way and don’t beat yourself up if you miss any. What about revision technique? Again, the answer is all about what suits you. By exam age, you should have an awareness of what learning techniques suit you best. If you haven’t, then deal with this immediately. Try a range of options and see what seems to work for you. Don’t blindly follow someone else’s advice… but note that educational psychology has pretty much nailed down some truisms. Firstly, writing notes – no matter what form – helps consolidate memory. By writing revision notes you must decide what is important. Thus, you force your brain through a real process of learning and fixing ideas. A great technique is to write long-form notes and then write shorter revision notes from those long-form notes. You are reducing the volume of information you need to carry into exam day but everything you may eventually need is packaged up in your memory. Think of it as natural zip-filing. Second is the use of past papers. Too many students waste these. Whatever you do, do not jump into full practice. Why practice writing rubbish answers? In the beginning, do some past paper questions with your books and notes open. The first step is to practice writing the best possible answer. Then you can try doing it from memory. Only then should you do it from memory in the time limit. For help with revision techniques and more, contact ITS Education at www.itseducation.asia – we have years of experience and a tutor across all main subjects.

COLD BEETROOT SOUP Serves 4 2 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1kg fresh beetroot, peeled 1½L vegetable stock ½ small loaf sourdough Heat 1tbsp oil in a large pan and add the onion, frying for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic, stirring to combine for 1 minute, then toss in the diced beetroot and cook for 15 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until the beetroot is tender. Season well and leave to cool. Meanwhile, heat the grill to high and put the sourdough (diced into croutons) on a baking sheet drizzled with the remaining oil, and toast until golden. Whizz the soup until smooth using a hand blender. Then leave to cool completely and chill for a couple of hours before serving. Serve with the croutons, plus some finely sliced chives scattered over.

WITH CLEARANCE FROM YOUR DOCTOR , you can stick to your regular exercise regime for at least the first trimester. Further into your pregnancy, you will need to adjust the way you exercise to accommodate your changing body. You can introduce props and apparatus, like birth balls and exercise bikes, to ensure your safety and that of your growing bump. IF YOU’RE NEW TO EXERCISE , start with five minutes per day and increase this by five minutes a week until you are working out for half an hour a day. Try brisk walking, jogging, or any other low-impact aerobic exercise that feels comfortable. The more you keep active before you give birth, the easier it will be to get in shape post pregnancy. SWIMMING IS THE SAFEST EXERCISE for pregnant women because almost the entire body is supported by the water. You can target different muscle groups by practising a variety of strokes. Then, as your pregnancy progresses you can do leg flutters and leg lifts while hanging poolside, rely on kickboards for added flotation support, or simply tread water. PRENATAL PILATES STRENGTHENS the pelvic floor to prepare the body for birth, and it can improve body alignment and help minimise back pain. Pilates is a great way to exercise without putting undue stress on the joints, and it improves flexibility. It can also relieve common pregnancy woes like thoracic pain, ligament pain and sciatica. DO YOUR PELVIC FLOOR EXERCISES regularly – aim to complete three sets of eight to 10 squeezes each day. This will strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which are lengthened and weakened during pregnancy and after childbirth. Pelvic floor muscles sit between your pubic bone at the front and your tailbone at the back, they support the bladder, bowel and uterus. GETTING BIRTH FIT is about setting yourself an achievable exercise routine, while preparing mentally and emotionally for the task ahead. A fun way to do this is to sign up for a couple of prenatal exercise classes. Not only will you get expert fitness/ wellness advice, you’ll also meet up with other mums with whom you can share experiences, hopes and fears. RELY ON REFLEXLOGY TO SOOTHE the aches and pains in your lower back, pelvis and joints that are taking a beating from your growing belly. Reflexology can also reduce stress, and help to restore the body’s equilibrium. Practitioners believe that regular treatments shorten the duration of labour, and result in many women requiring less pain relief. LIFTING WEIGHTS DURING PREGNANCY can help you stay fit, and prepare your body for parenthood. When done correctly and with the appropriate weight, strength training protects your core and lower back. It helps with posture changes, and helps build or maintain endurance, something you will definitely need during labour. PRENATAL YOGA TEACHES FORMS OF BREATH that can help alleviate heartburn and morning sickness, and help you push or control the urge to push during labour and delivery. It’s a great way to beat stress and improve your flexibility. What’s more, certain poses can shorten the birth canal up to 30% when practised during labour and delivery.

Wakesurfing is more than a substitute for traditional surfing, it’s a distinct watersport with endless possibilities. Raphael Blet hears all about it from Wakesurf DB’s Alice Leung and Albert Wong PHOTOS COURTESY OF Wakesurf DB WAKESURFING ALLOWS YOU TO RIDE the waves of a boat’s wake, rather than be pulled along (as you are in wakeboarding). Wakesurfers stand on the board instead of being strapped onto it. They stay only about 5 metres behind the boat after they let go of the towrope, while wakeboarders can be as far back as 20 metres and hold onto the towrope as they ride. THE BEST ADVICE for new wakesurfers is to relax and let the boat do the work. Sit in the water with your heels on the edge of the board, toes pointing up. As the board begins to move, let your knees come into your chest as you dig in your heels. Keep your knees bent until the board flips up to your feet and your weight is over the board. Stand up gently. TO STAY UP ON THE BOARD , find your centre of gravity, and stand tall with your chest up, bum in and knees slightly bent over your toes. Once you are comfortably surfing, with a consistently slack line, it’s time to toss the rope. Either throw the rope directly back into the boat, or across to the other side of the wave so that you don’t get caught up with it. TO STAY SAFE , you should only wakesurf behind a boat whose propeller is not exposed in the back. True wakesurfing involves riding right behind the boat, so it should only be done behind an inboard or V-drive. Wakesurfing behind an outboard is very risky as you could hit the propeller. KIDS AS YOUNG AS SEVEN YEARS can learn to wakesurf, providing they are confident swimmers. What’s important is that they are taught to wakesurf on a kid-sized board. Riding a full-size board makes it difficult for them not only to get up but to control the board once they are up and riding. THERE ARE COUNTLESS TRICKS to learn, such as carving turns, floaters, bottom turns, slashes, board slides and 360s. Just about anyone who can wakesurf can perform an Ollie. It’s a flashy but easy trick that involves popping the whole board into the air. WAKESURFING IS GROWING IN POPULARITY in part because the ride is significantly slower – 11 miles per hour – than wakeboarding, which takes riders through the water at nearly 20 miles per hour. In wakesurfing, you’re going to tip over more than you’re going to slam or get hurt. You can pretty much guarantee that you will fall –don’t jump, allow yourself to fall gently into the water. THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES of wakesurf board: surf, hybrid and skim. Surfshape wakesurf boards, with a large surface area and three-fin setup, provide a stable and forgiving platform on which to learn the basics. Hybrid boards offer greater flexibility by combining stability and manoeuvrability. Ultra-thin skimboards are poppy and nimble – perfect for surface tricks. YOU DO NOT NEED PRIOR WATERSPORT EXPERIENCE to learn how to wakesurf, and it provides a great workout for the legs and upper body. It’s a fun and relaxing watersport which can be enjoyed year-round. What’s more, DB is an ideal place to wakesurf, as its surrounding waters are mostly calm. Based in Peng Chau, Wakesurf DB offers fully captained wakesurf experiences and instruction for children and adults. WhatsApp Alice Leung on 6123 1181 for more information and to make a booking. Follow FB @wakesurfdb and IG @wakesurf.db to find out more.

Got football-mad kids? Progressive Sports Asia’s co-founders Dirk Haddow and Barry Brown provide some advice on choosing the right player development programme. Raphael Blet reports PHOTOS COURTESY OF Progressive Sports Asia DISCOVERY BAY IS AN IDEAL PLACE for beginners to develop their individual skills. With the parks, foreshore and small green areas near apartment buildings, kids get countless opportunities to practice in their free time. COHESION BETWEEN PLAYERS AND COACHES is very important, and individual development is crucial especially in the early years. Enrolling in a personalised programme gives each player the chance to develop and improve at their own pace. Inclusion is also key. Make sure the football school you opt for treats all students equally and makes them feel welcome. PLAYERS NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE with the ball from when they first start to practice. A good football school is one that gets students to use the ball in the first part of the session and gives them as many touches as they can. CHANGE OF DIRECTION (COD) is a trick that every young footballer should learn to master at the beginning of their training. This skill remains predominant throughout a footballer’s career, be it as an attacker or defender. COD is also part and parcel of endurance/ agility assessments when joining a football club. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES help players enhance their skills on their own outside of training sessions. For example, Progressive Sports Asia’s multi-level curriculum Tekkerz incorporates 12 levels with each offering individual skills complete with video and audio teaching. FOOTBALL IS ALL ABOUT CAMARADERIE and it’s a great way for kids to build self-esteem. Beyond improving fitness levels and making new friends, football helps children tackle complex situations, be part of a team and learn how to empathise with others. THE EARLIER YOU START THE BETTER and it’s possible to introduce kids as young as two years old to the sport. Although too young to play on a football field, toddlers can mess around with balls from the time they learn how to walk. Their brains will memorise the techniques and ready them for football school. IF YOUR CHILD ENVISIONS TURNING PRO , they can…it’s only the football ability they will need. Daily practice and a good relationship with coaches is essential. Young players that stand out are usually scouted by their school and invited to train with higher level teams. AUTOCRATIC, DEMOCRATIC AND HOLISTIC are three important types of football coaching styles. Each coach needs to have a bit of each and, depending on whom they are coaching, the ability to adapt. Democratic and holistic are the styles most coaches favour though an autocratic approach is sometimes needed when preparing for competitions. Progressive Sports Asia provides tailor-made programmes for boys and girls aged three years and up in and around DB. To find out more, call 9043 3095 or email admin@prosportsasia.com . Visit www.prosportsasia.com or follow FB @progressivesportsasia and IG @progressive_sports_asia .

Local experts, Cedric Sum, Paul and Michelle Jones and Billy Woo, provide the lowdown on three popular martial arts disciplines – judo, ju-jitsu and taekwondo. REPORTING BY Raphael Blet PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon – www.richardgordonphotography.com & courtesy of Paul Jones There are so many different types of martial arts but they all have one thing in common – people love them. And why not? Martial arts teach focus, self-control and the ability to self-defend; they boost confidence and provide a productive way to release energy. They are also a lot of fun to watch. Each martial ar ts discipline has its own techniques and objectives, so choosing the right one for you (and your kids) can be a challenge. For this reason, we’ve brought together four local experts, all of whom teach classes for children and adults in DB, to provide the lowdown on three of the most popular forms of martial ar t – judo, ju-jitsu and taekwondo. Meet Cedric Sum, Co-Founder of Daruma Judo Club; Paul and Michelle Jones, Co-Founders of Kaisei Ryu Ju-Jitsu; and Billy Woo, TaeKwon Master at Cheung Do Kwan. THE GENTLE WAY Judo was introduced in 1882 by Kano Jigoro, a prominent Japanese martial artist and educator. Unlike other martial arts, it does not allow kicks, strikes, hits or leg locks, but if taught well, it can be extremely effective for self-defence. “In Judo, you learn smart and strategic ways of taking your opponent down through both force and balance,” opens Cedric Sum, Co-Founder of Daruma Judo Club. “You learn to throw an opponent on his back (for the highest score) or on his side. Once on the ground, students are taught to find the quickest and easiest way to make an opponent submit, often through chokes and arm locks.” Judo is about using minimum physical force to bring your opponent to submission and as such, it translates as ‘the gentle way’. Every aspect involves self-control, strategy and consideration for your opponent. “Judo teaches you discipline and to be considerate of others. You learn respect for your opponent and your teacher,” Cedric says. “These values can help make our world a better one.” It follows that judo has a complex set of rules designed to ensure participants’ safety. “Beginner judo starts with what we call ‘ukemi’ (breakfall), a practice giving new joiners an understanding of key safety concepts and how to protect themselves from the impact of a fall,” Cedric explains. “Judokas are taught to observe their opponent’s age, height and weight to ensure that they land safely. Judokas also learn to react quickly, for instance when their opponent loses balance and a breakfall needs to be performed.” Judo is also known for its extensive moral code, which includes the principles of politeness, courage, sincerity, honour, modesty, respect, self-control and friendship. “Respect is key, no matter whether you are younger or older than your opponent. Competitions start with both sides bowing; it’s about showing respect to your opponent. If you want to be respected, learn how to respect others,” Cedric concludes. Daruma Judo Club holds classes out of Discovery College, at their dojo in Peng Chau and soon in Tung Chung. To enrol and get the latest schedules, call 6244 6093 or email darumasports@gmail.com . THE YIELDING ART Ju-jitsu was designed to supplement the swordsmanship of a warrior during combat. Its origins date as far back as 12th century Japan, when it was used by the samurai as a means of defence without a sword. “Ju-jitsu is all about close combat and self-defence,” opens Paul Jones, Co-Founder and Sensei of Kaisei Ryu Ju Jitsu. “It’s about ‘closing the gap’ with your opponent so you can control them. We always show respect towards each other, aiming to defend ourselves and others in the most efficient way possible. “Kaisei Ryu Ju Jitsu is a blend of traditional Japanese martial arts with modern self-defence techniques,” Paul adds. “Our style consists of body conditioning (breakfall), rolls, stand-up fighting (kicking and striking, throwing and locking techniques), ground fighting and submissions. For adult students, we also teach defensive weapon techniques.” For Kaisei Ryu Ju Jitsu Co-Founder Michelle Jones being able to teach students to defend themselves is key. “Hong Kong is a bubble and we tend to forget how important it is to know how to defend ourselves,” she says. “Ju-jitsu can be used as a means of defence against all types of attacks. You learn to use kicks, punches and throwing techniques to destabilise an attacker. Joint locks are also very commonly used in combination with these self-defence techniques.” While Paul and Michelle are both in top condition from years of training, they stress that ju-jitsu does not require brute strength. “Unlike other mar tial ar ts disciplines, we rely on body mechanics to manipulate an opponent rather than physical strength alone,” says Paul. Indeed, ju-jitsu translates as the ‘yieldingart,’ as its core philosophy is to use an opponent’s force against him rather than confronting it with one’s own force. “In ju-jitsu, we aim to outsmart our opponents, consciously controlling the situation to minimise injuries,” explains Michelle, an experienced educator. “Ju-jitsu can strengthen children’s critical thinking abilities as they are encouraged to respectfully challenge their opponents.” Kaisei Ryu Ju Jitsu holds classes out of DB Community Centre. To enrol and get the latest schedules, call 5315 0227, email jujitsuhk@gmail.com or visit www.kaiseiryujujitsu.com . THE ART OF KICKING In Korea, taekwondo is a discipline synonymous with national pride, it is taught in the military to soldiers, and it can be taken as a degree at university. It was developed during the 1940s by a group of Korean martial artists who wanted to create a combat sport that combined Korean fighting styles, such as taekkyeon, with foreign mar tial ar ts, such as karate. “Taekwondo centres on power ful and fast kicks (Tae), strong punches (Kwon) and good manners and etiquette (Do),” opens Billy Woo, TaeKwon Master at Cheung Do Kwan. In fact, one of the things that makes taekwondo so exciting to watch is the emphasis on spinning jump kicks, head-height kicks and fast kicking techniques. “Turning or roundhouse kicks are among the most common, where you use the balls of your feet to strike your opponent,” Billy says. “Then there are the middle punches which have three intensity levels: low, medium and high, depending on the part of the body being targeted. For example, low-section punches are aimed at the opponent’s navel, while high-section punches are usually aimed at the face. “Techniques are vital in minimising the use of energy, while producing maximal force,” Billy adds. “Strategy, on the other hand, is essential in sparring as you need to calculate your distance from an opponent and read an opponent’s movements to per form counter kicks.” And what of the ‘Do’ in taekwondo – good manners and etiquette? “Taekwondo values respect most of all, schools also teach the Tenets of Taekwondo which include courtesy, integrity, perseverance and self-control,” Billy explains. “We never kick our sparring partners when they are down, and we always exchange bows before and after the match to show respect. “Our goal is to build confidence by helping students overcome challenges,” Billy concludes. “Taekwondo teaches students not to give up when it gets tough. Learning respect and self-defence definitely boosts the confidence of students.” Cheung Do Kwan holds classes out of DB Community Centre and throughout Hong Kong. To enrol and get the latest schedules, call 5406 9281, email cdkdbay@gmail.com or visit www.hongkongtaekwondo.com .