Moving With The Times: Discovery Mind

Discovery Mind is entering the new school year with a clear vision for the future and the leadership of newly appointed Head of Kindergarten, Joyce Fong. 

At a time when artificial intelligence and rapid technological change is reshaping the world, DM is focused on preparing children not only for the next stage of education, but for a future that is impossible to predict. Many of today's professions may not exist in 10 or 20 years, making adaptability, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration more important than ever for our children. 

“Academic skills such as numeracy and literacy are important, but I always think that a school should be about growing a young person in the widest sense,” opens Head of School Chris Jackson. “Whole person development includes the academics, but it also includes helping children develop their sense of self and helping them learn to work and play with others, so that they may become thinkers, creators and collaborators. 

“Our website celebrates that we have been nurturing holistic growth since 1996, and Joyce joining DM is the beginning of the next step in this continual journey.” 

NEW HEAD OF KINDERGARTEN 

Ask Joyce what excites her about becoming the new head of Discovery Mind Kindergarten, overseeing both the Discovery Bay and Tung Chung campuses, and she says, “I am truly inspired by the energy and sincerity of the school founder and senior leadership team. It is exciting to be part of a school where we share such strong alignment in values – especially in nurturing children’s character, preparing them for the future and creating a community where happiness, safety and respect are at the heart of everything we do.” 

While DMK is known for its human-centred educational approach and emphasis on parent-teacher collaboration, one of the things that truly differentiates the kindergarten is its future-focused bilingual (English and Mandarin) programme. 

“In today’s rapidly evolving world, where information is increasingly accessible, children need strong language abilities to understand, interpret and express ideas effectively and ethically,” Joyce says. “Our fully immersive bilingual environment allows children to develop confidence in both languages, connect with different cultures and begin to see the world from a broader, global perspective. 

“We also place strong emphasis on core values such as respect, responsibility, resilience, empathy, curiosity, trustworthiness and self-awareness. Our teachers model these values, and gently nurture these everyday habits in our students.” 

At the heart of this is DM’s human-centred approach, which is rooted in the school’s distinctive educational DNA: Respect, Responsibility and Resilience (the 3Rs). 

VISIONARY SCHOOL DNA 

The DM curriculum balances strong foundations in literacy and mathematics with advanced language development, communication skills and emotional intelligence – capabilities that AI cannot replicate. 

DM intentionally cultivates distinctly human competencies such as empathy, collaboration, ethical reasoning and critical thinking, reinforcing Respect for diverse viewpoints and Responsibility in decision-making. 

Student wellbeing and a positive mindset underpin learning, including the ‘safety to fail’ approach, where children learn accountability while building the Resilience to adapt and grow. 

The curriculum remains agile: it is regularly refined to meet the needs of DM students and stay ahead of technological and societal shifts. 

These principles are applied concretely – from kindergarten show-and-tell, which builds storytelling skills, confidence and mutual Respect, to the primary entrepreneurship programme, which develops real-world problem-solving, Responsibility and the grit required to innovate.