We are excited to share with you preliminary information about No Boundaries 2025. 

No Boundaries 2025 week

10 - 14 November (+/- 2 days for Beyond Hong Kong trips)

What’s New in NB 2025!

We are thrilled to share with you key No Boundaries Programme information for 2025-26. Next year’s programme builds upon the success and learning from this year, featuring additional experiences in China and strategic structural enhancements, to better support the experiential learning continuum from

Years 3-12.

The No Boundaries programme aspires to create sustainable partnerships that lead to a permanent and meaningful engagement between members of the DC community and identified community partners that will endure and deepen over time, leading to powerful development work. This journey starts in Year 3 and Taking principled action throughout the No Boundaries continuum takes the students on a learning journey that is age-appropriate and supports the development of skills and attributes that enable meaningful engagement, leading to a positive impact for both themselves and others. 

Year 3-7 Programme offerings:

The camps continuum is designed to develop resilience, leadership skills, relationships, as well as independence and self reliance. We are currently in the process of developing the Hong Kong Based camp experiences for 2025-26 and look forward to sharing more information with you in the coming weeks.

Year 8-9 programme offerings:

As students transition from Hong Kong based camps, they are ready to broaden their horizons further and develop their appreciation for other communities, their language, cultures and rich traditions. As a College, we are committed to creating the opportunity for all students to develop a deepened appreciation for host country, the Chinese language, and the vibrant communities across China that we are partnered with. To support this, all Year 8 and 9 students will have the opportunity to learn through their participation in a range of experiences across the China region.

Year 10-12 programme offerings: 

The Year 10-12 programme provides opportunities for students to engage in projects with trusted partners further afield, including Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia. All of the experiences are centred on community partnership and service through research. 

Last, but not least, the No Boundaries team have developed a range of Hong Kong-based experiences in partnership with NGOs and other organisations across Hong Kong. The local NB learning experiences offer a balanced combination of conservation-based, adventure and community service opportunities, with some variation between day programs and shorter overnight residentials.

What’s Next....

We recommend students and families: 

• Aaccess information available on the No Boundaries 2025 website in the DC Parent Portal, start with the General Information section.
• To have their time to learn about the available programs and consider, which experiences might appeal to you

Current Year 7 to Year 11 students will have opportunity to attend the No Boundaries 2025 Expo (NB EXPO) in block four and Discovery Time (tentatively on Thursday, 24 April), which will provide specific trip information presentations held by trip leaders. More information will follow. 

PTA and our dedicated parent volunteers had a wonderful time with the primary children during the Easter bonnet craft event yesterday at lunchtime.

The creativity and enthusiasm displayed by the children were truly inspiring, and it was heartwarming to see them enjoy the process of making their bunny and chick bonnets. 

Thank you to our parents who volunteered their time and shared their creativity which made this event possible.

Mark your calendars and join us on 25 April 2025, from 17:00 to 19:00 (doors open at 16:45) at ESF Discovery College G/F Theatre, for our very first up-cycled fashion show as we highlight the importance of textile sustainability as a community, and to celebrate the dedication of our talented student designers and models. 

Buy your tickets HERE. (live music and light refreshments included!)

We would love for you to be part of Swap&Shop’s final show and to make a positive impact within our local community together!

Hear ye! Hear ye!

Discovery College cordially invites everyone to join us down the rabbit hole and into our wonderful Wonderland. On the evenings of 7 and 8 May, Discovery College will turn its facilities into a new and modernised Wonderland where the audience can explore the many adventures that Alice goes on while trying to find a place to charge her mobile phone.

Each episode of her adventure will be performed promenade-style in a different Discovery College performance space; and the audience will move from mushroom patch to dense woods to flower garden and more, as they piece the story together. 

The performance lasts about two hours and tickets are priced at 150HKD per person. We're sorry, but adventurers who are three years old and younger are a bit too small for our Wonderland and will need to stay at home.

Click HERE for tickets! Dance parties, tea parties, and delightful madness await to make even the meanest of cats smile. 

We look forward to seeing you! 

 - Alice@Wonderland Team

Our Second Floor Gym was alive with energy during Wednesday's Secondary Interhouse Dance Competition. Students from Red, Blue, Purple, Green, and Yellow Houses showcased their incredible talent, teamwork, and tenacity with performances ranging from contemporary to hip-hop to bhangra. It was great to see representation from all Secondary year levels as well as some teachers and one dinosaur - those are not the same thing!

 

The panel of judges faced a tough challenge, as each act was of exceptional quality, making it difficult to distinguish the performances. In the end, Yellow House emerged victorious, earning not just important House points, but the opportunity to dance at the Whole College assembly today.

 

The event was a true celebration of school spirit, with students cheering for one another and fostering a sense of community and belonging. We look forward to the Primary Interhouse Dance competition, which will take place in Term 3, where we look forward to encouraging all students to participate and continue showcasing their remarkable talents.

Our students recently took part in the Hong Kong Model United Nations conference. This conference, which is organised entirely by volunteer students from across several international schools in Hong Kong, is an international conference with groups from several countries invited. The theme this year was ‘Rising to Resolution’, and the three-day schedule - which took place at Hong Kong University - gave students an opportunity to debate a wide variety of international issues in a series of demanding committee formats.

Our students did astonishingly well at this conference. This was reflected in a number of ways, including the awards presented at the end. DC had 11 student delegates attending this conference of over 600 participants, sitting on 7 out of the total of 14 committees - yet they emerged with no fewer than three of the ‘Best Delegate’ awards, including two at Advanced level! This is truly a remarkable accomplishment. Congratulations go to Nathan Kamadinata, Jasmine Yeung, and Alexander Nolens-Liu for being awarded, and also to Saisha Gogia for an honourable mention and Rysa Bahri for her role as Deputy Committee Chair.

Model United Nations will continue into Term 3, and so any student in Year 9 and above wishing to take part can contact the student leaders, Rysa Bahri and Malhar Kulkarni, for more information. We look forward to more great conference experiences and insightful debate opportunities in the coming months.

The ESF Stakeholder Survey 2025 was conducted across all ESF schools, including Discovery College, to gather feedback from all stakeholders. 

The analysis of each survey is based upon aggregated data from the closed questions, and a thematic analysis of the open questions. This enabled us to identify the strengths of the College, as well as areas to further improve, from the perspective of each stakeholder group. Your valuable input is guiding us in making informed decisions and shaping strategy and we greatly appreciate your participation. 

Thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration.

Here is a summary of the major findings from each stakeholder group:

Parents

Our parent survey identified that there are high quality relationships between teachers, educational assistants and students. Furthermore, parents expressed appreciation for the inclusive and positive environment that fosters strong connections among families. As an area to improve, parent responses expressed a desire to further enhance our community spirit. There is an interest in organising more events and opportunities that encourage togetherness and a sense of belonging.

Students

The student survey revealed several positive insights regarding the learning experience. Students feel that the greatest strength is that they are making significant progress through personalised feedback, which has greatly enhanced their educational journey. Additionally, the innovative use of technology and resources has further enriched their learning experience. Students expressed a desire for more opportunities to contribute to the school's strategic development, indicating their eagerness to play an active role in shaping their educational experience.

Staff

The staff survey highlighted the importance of quality relationships and collaboration among faculty members as a key strength, which is a theme across the different stakeholder groups. Staff members acknowledged the extensive and high-quality Professional Development opportunities available, which contribute positively to their growth and ranked this as a significant strength. To enhance their experience further, staff expressed a need for additional support in engaging with new technologies and resources to bolster learning. Furthermore, they emphasised that further constructive feedback from leaders on professional practice would significantly aid their development and effectiveness in the classroom.

Next Steps

The survey findings have already informed the strategic planning process for the upcoming academic year. Moving forward, insights from the community will help us shape our strategic objectives for the 2025-2026 academic year. We extend our gratitude to all participants for their support with the stakeholder survey, as your input is crucial in our continuous enhancement as we work together to make Discovery College the best it can be, supporting all members of our community to Grow. Discover. and Dream.

We are writing to inform you of recent updates to Roblox, a popular online gaming platform among students.  The changes stem from increasing concerns from parents and experts about child safety. These changes reflect Roblox's ongoing efforts to create a more secure and age-appropriate environment for all users, particularly children.

Here's a summary of the key updates:

Enhanced Parental Controls:

• Roblox is introducing more granular controls, allowing parents to specifically manage their children's interactions and access within the platform.
• Parents will now have the ability to block specific experiences (games) and prevent their children from interacting with certain users.
• This expanded control will allow parents to curate their child's Roblox experience, ensuring it aligns with their family's values and safety standards.

Friend and Experience Blocking:

• A significant change is the ability to block specific "friends" from interacting with your child within the platform. This is designed to address concerns regarding potentially harmful online interactions.
• Parents can also now block specific "experiences" (games) that they deem inappropriate for their child. This allows for a much more customized and controlled environment.

Age Verification and Content Ratings:

• Roblox is continuing to refine its age verification and content rating systems to ensure that children are exposed to age-appropriate content.

Commitment to Safety:

• These updates reflect Roblox's commitment to prioritising user safety, particularly for younger players. There is still more to be done.

We understand that online safety is a critical concern for parents. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with these new parental control features within your child's Roblox account. By utilising these tools, you can play an active role in ensuring a safe and positive online experience for your child.

BBC article 

Roblox Newsroom

As we approach the end of Term 2, we want to remind you of the importance of maintaining your child’s laptop. Many students from Year 6 to Year 10 have enquired about ways to free up storage on their devices, particularly noting that their Downloads folder has accumulated a significant number of files.

We recommend following some basic principles to help maintain the life expectancy of their device. To assist you supporting you child, we recommend the following key steps:

1. Clear the Downloads Folder:
   Encourage your child to review the Downloads folder and delete any outdated or unnecessary files. This can help free up valuable storage space.
2. Clear the Browser Cache:
   Teach your child how to clear the cache in their preferred web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge). Regularly clearing the cache can help improve performance and free up additional space.
3. Consider an External Hard Drive:
   If your child’s laptop is running low on storage, think about purchasing an external hard drive. This will allow your child to back up their schoolwork and free up internal storage.

By following these steps, (please use the parent guide on the parent portal) your child can help ensure their laptop runs efficiently throughout the school year. Involving them in this process not only supports their device's health but also helps them develop valuable organisational and technical skills.

As we enter the Easter holidays, we hope the laptops get some well-deserved rest, allowing families to enjoy quality time together. It’s a wonderful opportunity to reconnect and recharge.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Please read summary report of the School Council meeting held on 17 March 2025.

Make the most of the final term of this academic year and enrich your knowledge! ESF Explore provides an inspiring and enjoyable learning environment for students of all ages. We focus on developing a range of skills while fostering confidence in language proficiency. Our courses cover a variety of areas, including playgroup, languages, sports, and STEM, ensuring a solid foundation for students' holistic development. 

Check out the Term 3 programme listing HERE and enrol now!

Parents are reminded that Wednesday, 30 April 2025 is the deadline for informing the College of the withdrawal of a student who will not be returning in August 2025. 

Parents who wish to withdraw their child from Discovery College are required to submit a Student Withdrawal Form via the ESF App*. The online Student Withdrawal form is the ONLY official way for parents to inform Discovery College of their children leaving the school.

All current DC students paid a two-month deposit upon entry to the College. The first half of this deposit was offset against the first month’s fees while the remaining half is credited against the fees for the last month of enrolment, subject to a two-month advance notice of withdrawal. In order to ensure the utilisation of the remaining half of the deposit as payment for the last month of enrolment, e.g. June 2025 (the end of this academic year) if the student is not returning in August 2025, notification is required no later than Wednesday 30 April 2025. Please note that any subsequent change of the last date of attendance or cancellation of the withdrawal may be declined. 

As soon as the online Student Withdrawal form is received, Discovery College will offer an admission assessment/interview for the year group in question to applicants on the relevant waiting list who, if successful at assessment/interview, will be offered the current student’s place to start after the last date of attendance as per the Student Withdrawal Notice. 

Enquiries regarding student withdrawal can be addressed to our Admissions Department at admissions@dc.edu.hk. 

Current Year 13 students graduating at the end of the current 2024-25 academic year do not have to submit the Student Withdrawal form.

* ​​To access the form, please tap on the Ding! icon and scroll down to forms