hkaVOICES - Spring 2018

hka
Voices
letter from the editor
Dear Hong Kong Academy Community,
In a crowded city like Hong Kong, we spend so much time with other people that it’s hard to imagine what it would be like to be entirely
alone. Movies like Tom Hanks’ Cast Away and Daniel Defoe’s classic novel Robinson Crusoe provide fictional accounts of life on deserted
islands (although Crusoe does encounter some locals), but the experiences of the leading characters seem far from our everyday,
non-fiction lives. And rightly so. We are all members of multiple communities, embedded in systems, and often working together to
further goals we hold dear.
A major theme running through this issue of hkaVoices is the importance of team. Collectively, the articles evoke the words of Helen
Keller, “Alone we can do little; together we can do so much.” Whether it’s students raising funds for refugee relief, teachers taking a
multidisciplinary approach to their craft, parents helping out at school or the hkaEATS staff preparing food each day, life at HKA
depends on teamwork. As a group committed to the school’s mission, vision and values, we all do our part to support our students
on their pathways to individual excellence.
Warmly,
Laura Mitchell
Director of Institutional Advancement
The first arts trimester concluded with Grade 6 visual artists completing their Fantasy Fruits. Inspired by British ceramicist Kate Malone,
Grade 6s observed real fruits and vegetables and then combined them in unusual, imaginative ways to create their fantasy designs. The
sculptures are hollow, formed from clay, with textured additions adding detail, and then glazed to give them a bright, juicy appearance.