STAFF PROFILE
PETER MUIR
CAS and C&S Coordinator Before coming to Discovery College, Peter Muir lived in Bali for 12 years where he first moved having been lured by surf and sun. Peter first taught at a private national school and then worked at Bali International School for five years before he decided to move on to further develop personally and professionally. At DC, Peter coordinates opportunities for students to be actively involved in service-related efforts within the school and wider community. He is passionate about guiding students to get involved in activities that can challenge them and make a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others. He believes that it is a moral responsibility for schools to do this – to develop those who can deal with a situation that current and previous generations have created. Peter also teaches PE and Theory of Knowledge (TOK). During the tragic bombing of Bali in 2002, Peter was again reminded the importance of community working together during difficult times. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his efforts in helping out in the morgue in the days following the incident. Originally from Australia, Peter comes from a small coastal town called Inverloch, about 150km southeast of Melbourne, where he grew up on a farm. Peter earned an Honours degree in Physical Education from University of Ballarat and a Masters of Education from Macquarie. Peter is married to Yani, who is from Java, and they have two children, Ryan and Riana. Having been spoiled with good surf in Bali, Peter has not taken up surfing in Hong Kong due to the lack of good waves. These days he gets his sports fix by following his favourite Aussie Rules team, the Richmond Tigers. He also plays football for a local team, the Lantau Lizards, despite his body giving him signals to give up. David Thapa Communications and Scholarship Assistant
DC HOSTS ACCREDITATION TEAM The week of 27 October – 1 November saw the final stage of more than 18 months of self study, reflection and planning for the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation process. A team of 11 international educators spent the week in our school visiting classes of every teacher, reviewing evidence around our self study and ascertaining whether or not the College meets the stringent standards of these internationally respected school accreditation organisations. Our self study was undertaken last academic year and involved all teachers, more than 20 parents, many support staff and volunteer students who looked at 21 different areas of the College’s operation.
of the visit was highly positive leading us to believe we are in a good position to be accredited. Key highlights of the informal feedback included the team’s awareness and appreciation of: • a very strong and positive culture between students, teachers and the community; • highly engaged and connected students; • very positive and professional teachers; • detailed and thorough self study reports; and • so many structures and systems in place to support learning and student needs in just five years since opening. Thank you to all who have been involved in this process.
Although we will not have official confirmation of accreditation for several months as the report is submitted and approved by the CIS and WASC central offices, the feedback we received during and at the end
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PETER MUIR
Peter Lasscock Deputy Head of College