Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

I am in the middle of writing a thesis on how an institution can create a "third space" learning environment in which all students can excel. I am procrastinating and, as part of this process, am re-reading "A Hero of Our Time" by Lermontov in which I found the following reflection: "I was struck by the ability of this Russian to reconcile himself to the customs of the peoples among whom he happens to live. I do not know whether this mental quality is a virtue or a vice, but it does reveal a remarkable flexibility and that sober common sense which forgives evil wherever it feels it to be necessary, or impossible to eradicate" Mikhail Iurevich Lermontov - A Hero of Our Time Personal experience and observation has illustrated to me that people brought up between multiple cultures do demonstrate a flexibility towards unfamiliar situations. The desire to adapt is strong, sometimes at the expense of denying your own culture (my own experience of the "

It was a with a massive sigh of relief that our 11+/13+ candidates finished their last exam today. Their papers are now winging their way to Wycombe Abbey, Downe House and Radley College. They worked hard and their results should demonstrate this to their chosen schools. And as for us at Brandon.. we wish them well and turn our thoughts to the Summer candidates! If your child is preparing for 11+/13+/IGCSE here are some tips to help them to succeed: 1: Talk to teachers now to flag any areas of concern 2: Start thinking about the remaining time and how you are going to manage revision. At Brandon we have intensive 11+/13+ revision classes during the Easter holidays but there is no reason why you can't replicate a tutorial school at home! 3: Start to gather your materials now. Do you have text books, past papers, school notes? Don't rely on your child to bring them home. As we all know, the school bag can be a black hole! Most importantly... try not to create an atmosph

Tonight is the Brandon Learning Centre Annual Charity Show. We have more than ninety students performing in both English and French. Last minute advice: Make sure that you know where the venue is so you aren't rushing. It is the Duke of Windsor Social Services Building at 15 Hennessy Road. Doors open at 6.45 pm. Wear something which is comfortable for you! Warm up your voice. Take three deep breaths. On the fourth breath, say "ah" as you exhale. Repeat for "ee" and "oh" Look over your words again. Have fun! This is a wonderful opportunity for you to speak in public in front of a crowd of admiring parents and to raise money for Helping Hand's elderly. See you at the show!

I enjoy limericks enormously; the potential for lunacy within a tightly defined format is a challenge and a delight. I was looking at a poem suitable for Thanksgiving but found the following instead. To make a tenuous link, I am thankful because it reminds me of a fabulous trip to Martha's Vineyard when I was 17, my Grandfather who had a weakness for dreadful puns and, most importantly, that I am neither Nan or her father! Without further ado... There Once was a Man from Nantucket - Anonymous There once was a man from Nantucket, Who kept all his cash in a bucket, But his daughter, named Nan, Ran away with a man, And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

The Kapuso Foundation does incredible on the ground work in the Philippines and have been highly praised by people we have met in Hong Kong who are from Leyte. They are embarking on a massive fundraising appeal in the wake of Super Hurricane Yolanda. Kapuso Foundation's Operation Bayanihan | GMANetwork.com - Foundation - Multimedia

Aston Martin Owners Club Hong Kong Centenary Celebrations - LifestyleAsia Hong Kong

The closer we get to Remembrance Day, the more I reflect on the sacrifice made by so many people to guard our freedoms. The following is a glorious poem describing the exhilaration of flying. Unmentioned is the incredible danger these young pilots placed them in. Their bravery is summed up in Churchill's epigram following the Battle of Britain: "never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" High Flight  Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth  And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;  Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth  of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things  You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung  High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,  I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung  My eager craft through footless halls of air....  Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue  I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.  Where never lark, or even eagle flew —  An

Brandon Learning Centre specialises in speech and the HKSMSA speech festival is one of the high points of our year. When preparing a poem for a speech festival, it is tempting to skip the first step which is to understanding the meaning of every word. Poets choose their words carefully and it is impossible to convey the real meaning of your verses without understanding them! For some of our students, this might mean sitting down with a dictionary and then discussing possible meanings with others. One idea is to ask your child to retell the story of the poem to you. If they can't do this, you might want to discuss the piece together. Once you have understanding, you can add expression and convey the meaning of the poet's words to your appreciative audience!  

This time of year is bittersweet as our students leave us for their new UK schools. This year, we have students going to Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Westminster, Downe House, Wycombe Abbey, Oundle, King's Canterbury, Dragon, Tonbridge, St Mary's Calne, Charterhouse, Rugby and many other schools. A few things for our students to think about: 1: New school, new start. You may not have played as big a role as you could in your previous school. Now is the time to join in. 2: Ask questions. It is by asking questions that you can extend your knowledge of a subject or clear up areas of confusion. The more you ask, the more you learn. 3: Don't be afraid to ask for help. There are multiple sources of assistance in your new schools: senior students (mentors/"big sisters") prefects, teachers, your house tutor and your house mistress/master. Don't suffer in silence. 4: Have fun, try everything (even the cabbage!) Good luck, everyone at Brandon is very proud of y

We are all safe at home as the typhoon batters Hong Kong. Instead of spending the day square-eyed in front on the television or immersed in computer games, how about creating some family memories? Ideas... Bake! Scones, biscuits, nothing too complicated. The scent of baking filling the house easily compensates for the greyness outside. Create a scrap book of family pictures, memories and in-jokes. Something to look back on or use as black-mail when boy/girl friends meet the parents. Create a family magazine for Grandparents. Write up news, add holiday pictures, recipes or plans for the new term. Play a board game (avoid Monopoly, the source of explosive arguments in houses across the nation!) Give younger children magazines and blunt scissors. Ask them to cut out animal pictures and stick them all together to make a zoo, fashion pictures to create a show or just anything that catches their eye. Create a family quiz. Everyone makes up 20 questions which can be general kno

School interviews? At any age, the idea of being grilled by a stranger can be daunting. And therein lies the problem; we need to adjust the way that we perceive interviews. An interview is a two way process. Your interviewer wants to find out more about you to see if you are suitable for their school or company. You want to present your skills in a way which is attractive and also want to find out whether the school or company is an environment in which you can thrive. Interviews are conversations: both sides need to take part! Planning ideas. Speak to friends who are currently studying at the school. They are the experts! 1: Think about what you really want to get out of the interview. Why do you want to join this school? 2: Think about what skills and talents the school is looking for 3: Think about what you have to offer 4: Ask yourself: what don't I know about this school? Some questions you will be able to research online or find answers through asking friends.