HOPE CONNECT
November 16, 2023 | N 9-23-24
A playlist of extraordinary collaboration!
Last week’s production was like an awesome playlist that hits all the right notes.
Each student, like a catchy song, brought their own unique vibe to the mix, creating a harmonious blend of personalities and experiences.
With the variety of activities happening at school, each one is like that playlist sorting the songs out with unique moods and vibes that get activated as they study, perform, volunteer, and train. And just as a great playlist leaves you energized and inspired, these performances stay in our memory as a reminder of the power of shared experiences and the joy of creating something together.
HIGHLIGHTS
It was a hard-knock show!
With 30 students in the cast, 40 more in the backstage crew, a handful of passionate staff, and a whole body of supportive parents, Annie Jr. was a successful musical production!
We are super proud of our students, not just for their amazing performance, but also for their ability to handle the ups and downs that come with any production. They showed off their skills in theatrical arts, conflict resolution, customer service, communication, and teamwork, proving that they can adapt and succeed even when the going gets tough. The production had three showtimes, with a full audience of over 200 per show at Asian Hope International School. The cast and crew rose to the occasion and Annie Jr. was a community triumph!
We are thankful for the production and direction of Taara Portela and Kate Roden who led the play and all the parts for many months of hard work, rehearsal, and management.
Look at these amazing photos! Relive the wonderful moments of the event and keep the memories alive with these fun snapshots. Feel free to grab photos from this album.
Christmas Fair
for MUN South Korea
for MUN South Korea
The Model of United Nations (MUN) students have got something for the whole community to start celebrating Christmas.
On December 1st, a Christmas Fair will be held on campus with Christmas Carols, food by C9, Christmas-themed activities, and some other surprises that will make us get into the mood for the festive spirit. All proceeds go to support their conference trip to South Korea in January 2024. Get your tickets at the Front Office and spend a great afternoon along with your family and friends!
Get ready for
Cross-Country
Cross-Country
A colorful race will be run by our students next Friday! From Preschool to Grade 12, we will be racing in the name of one of the four HOPE houses. The school will be open for drop-off at 7:15 and students will be dismissed at 12pm.
An email with details has been sent to the whole community. Contact Lorinda Wishart if you have any questions.
ACADEMICS | SECONDARY
A Snapshot of Student Learning in November Read more
November is a swamped month for students and teachers. We are quickly approaching the end of the semester and that means wrapping up units with assessments and planning for reports. Across our secondary grades, students balance many different subjects and topics; here are just a few of the interesting things students are learning and working on these days:
Grade 6: Japanese art, dividing decimals, novel study of “The Breadwinner.
Grade 7: Astronomy, portraits, linear equations, and poetry.
Grade 8: Korean novel study, web technologies, the novel study of “A Christmas Character”.
Grade 9: Stoichiometry, communication, novel study of “Picnic at Hanging Rock”
Grade 10: Software systems, persuasive Language in Korean, time and poetry in Khmer.
Grade 11: Japanese expansion in East Asia, “In a parallel universe” photographs and gender roles, and Black-body radiation.
Grade 12: Binomial & normal distribution, astrophysics, and star life cycle.
Taara Portela
Interim Secondary Principal
Storytelling is a natural and beautiful way to connect with others. Across millenia, stories have been used to teach, encourage, inspire and empower. Common themes cut across time and cultures, revealing our deepest values and desires. I love seeing how Biblical themes of sacrifice, redemption and adoption find their way into the ‘secular’ world and the stories that are told. Often without meaning to, they lend themselves to messages of hope, love and belonging that can be understood in a much deeper way when considered in light of God’s story. It’s something I pointed out to our Annie cast members as we drew closer to performing; the story of a lost orphan being adopted by a loving (and rich!) Father has so many echoes for us as children of God (Ephesians 1:5). May we continue to use the opportunities around us to reflect on God’s plan and story; pointing others to His truth!
KOUPREYS | SPORTS
The Legacy of Cambodia in HOPE’s Houses
You have probably heard about Hammond, Ellison, Verner, and Cormack. These names grace our sports houses at HOPE, each one commemorating the extraordinary and pioneering work of missionaries who left an indelible mark on Cambodia. Find a brief description of the Houses of Hope below.
Hammond
Represented with the color red, Arthur and Esther HAMMOND, along with David ELLISON and his wife Muriel, represented with the color green, were the first long-term evangelical missionaries to Cambodia. These Americans from the Christian & Missionary Alliance (CMA) first entered Cambodia in 1923. In 1925, Arthur Hammond began translating the Bible into Khmer, while David Ellison began a Bible school to train pastors and church leaders in Battambang province. The first Bible in Khmer was more than 30 years in the making. The New Testament was completed by 1934, and the entire Bible (KOV) was finally published in 1954.
Ellison
Represented with the color red, Arthur and Esther HAMMOND, along with David ELLISON and his wife Muriel, represented with the color green, were the first long-term evangelical missionaries to Cambodia. These Americans from the Christian & Missionary Alliance (CMA) first entered Cambodia in 1923. In 1925, Arthur Hammond began translating the Bible into Khmer, while David Ellison began a Bible school to train pastors and church leaders in Battambang province. The first Bible in Khmer was more than 30 years in the making. The New Testament was completed by 1934, and the entire Bible (KOV) was finally published in 1954.
Verner
In yellow is Verner, in honour of Jim and Agnes Verner, who in 2002, established the Khmer School of Language (KSL) Mercy Home Project. This initiative provided skill training, essential necessities like food, medicine, and supplies, and support for their educational pursuits. The project's first home was established in West Prek Ho Village in Kandal Province. Through international cooperation, the project evolved into the KSL Aid Project of Mercy (APM), now extending its impact to the provinces of Battambang, Takeo, Kampot, Kampong Speu, Phnom Penh, and Preah Sihanouk.
Cormack
Cormack is fittingly represented by blue in honour of Don Cormack and his wife Margaret, who dedicated over two decades to serving the Cambodian people. Don was an OMF missionary in 1974-5 as the Khmer Rouge surrounded Phnom Penh. He then served in refugee camps along the Thai border, where he gathered oral histories from some of the early Khmer believers. From these recordings, Don Cormack chronicled the history of Cambodian Christianity in his book, “Killing Fields, Living Fields”. It recounts how the Cambodian Church was initially established among rice farmers in Northwest Cambodia in the mid-1920s and then experienced a significant spiritual awakening in the 1970s. However, under Khmer Rouge rule, the Church was scattered across Cambodia, Thailand, and the world, with its leadership almost entirely wiped out. In 1993, he established the first Anglican Church in Cambodia, becoming its inaugural Vicar alongside Rev Dr John Benson, the first Dean of Cambodia.
The names Hammond, Ellison, Verner, and Cormack stand as enduring testaments to the unwavering spirit of these missionaries, who selflessly dedicated their lives to spreading hope and fostering a better future for the nation we serve. Their legacy continues to inspire generations, reminding us of the transformative power of perseverance, endurance, dedication, and inspiration.
From Sports Season 1 to Season 2
Season 1 it’s a wrap and season 2 has just begun!
The sports calendar marks a different sport for each level, in this season we find High Schoolers playing Basketball, Middle School Football, and High/Middle School Track and Field. Training has already started and the list of coaches has some new names! Welcome to the team Michael Henderson.
An excellent transition to season 2 was the session Secondary Students had with Coach Quinn Conley from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization in the USA, where he expounded the importance of speaking life while playing sports as a way to guard their mental strength in any tournament or training despite their performance.
CAMPUS
Pardon the interruptions
As you have probably noticed, there are some exciting renovations happening around the school, thanks to generous donors!
Currently, our Playground remains closed for this week and next, the dining area near C9 is being painted, and the upstairs academic room (a new meeting room for teachers) is in progress.
We can’t wait to experience school life with these new upgrades!
Updated C9 Menu
Here is the next C9 menu. It will also be shared on Friday around campus, on the website, and the parents’ Facebook group for your reference!
On the Friday of Cross Country, the school will dismiss early at 12 noon and the Front Office will close at 2:30 to get an early start to the holiday break.
Get ready to take a break! Upcoming holiday from November 26-28 due to the Water Festival.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
40K for 40 Years
Board Chair Emily Prichard invites the HOPE community to her birthday party to raise $40k for scholarships at HOPE! Come join on Saturday, December 16 for a fun event with a market full of vendors to shop with, food, balloons, and the opportunity to walk/run a 5K loop in the name of Christian education.
Sign up using this form HERE
More details on the Facebook Event page HERE
Want to give directly to the 40K for 40 years Scholarship Fund? Click this link and give NOW!
Christmas Production Day
A great way to close the semester is with the Christmas Production. Save the date for after school on Wednesday, December 13. More details to follow.
STAFF ECHO
FROM OUR CHAPLAIN
A servants calling
Matthew 5:44-46
“I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”
A while ago a wise friend of mine once told me “it’s easy to be a servant, until someone treats you like one” and the truth of that statement has shown itself in many different opportunities, plenty of which I did not respond the way Jesus commanded in this passage. Turning the other cheek after a particularly spiteful strike or praying for our persecutors is so much easier said than done. But this is the servants calling. It’s not so hard to wash someone’s feet when their feet are not so dirty, however, the feet of the person who just trampled on you, tough to clean. Jesus asked for the forgiveness of the perpetrators of his own murder. Stephan in Acts 7 did the same, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we too can serve and love those who treat us like servants. Just as God raises the sun and sends the rain on all, He loves all. This is not to say that there will not be judgement for sins, but rather to say that we are not the judge, we are the hands and feet of Jesus, He came to serve and not to be served. So then, even when we are pierced, we should remain steadfast in our love of those who are piercing. That they may see Jesus by our love.
Chappy (Mark Kramm)
A prayer list
Take the time to pray for…
Grade 2
Amera Gardose
Kristi Ashmead
Hany Chay
Cleaners
Vanry Thou
Nouch Soeun
Vandy Mao
Sokhol Nou
Len Yok
Siengly Sarin
Horn Nav
Leadership
Adam Ecklund
Taara Portela
Adam Honeybun
Sophal Phork
Mike Gooch
Tony Payne
Hector Anica
Parent Resource Page
C9 Menu, calendars, SEQTA, and more! Our Parent page on the website is meant to be a one-stop-shop for most information you would need. You can access that HERE, or by going to our website and clicking on "Parents".
That's all!
Have a great week!