G1-G6
The Pathway to Writing Program is designed based on the Aspiring Writers program. Students will improve their fundamental English reading and writing skills by practicing and building on their understanding of writing structure and grammar concepts. Over the duration of the course, students will boost their confidence in their English language skills and prepare to transition into the Aspiring Writers program.
Course Highlights:
Perfect for:
After the course, students will be able to:
G1-G6
The Aspiring Writers Program starts with the foundation of idea development and basic writing structures. At each level, students practice the important steps pf the writing process. As students progress in the program, they learn level-appropriate literary skills and techniques to hone their writing skills. These skills are developed through reading and evaluating texts; teacher instruction and modelling; close attention to the writing process; and regular feedback on activities and assignments.
Course Highlights:
Perfect for:
After the course, students will be able to:
G3-G6
In this course, students will gain the necessary tools to recognize and access credible sources. Students will be able to gather, collect data and information. They will be able to evaluate and synthesize information from various sources to assist their analytical and problem solving skills. Though case studies, students will be able to analyze successful and unsuccessful models to skillfully identify, conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information from a variety of media. The goal of the course is to teach students how to empathize with and define problems in an ever-changing world. It teaches them how to brainstorm, design, test, and re-test solution to those problems.
Course Highlights:
Perfect for:
After the course, students will be able to:
G4 | G6
The Writers’ Workshop Program is designed for students who are already avid readers and advanced writers, yet seek to challenge themselves and advance their writing techniques. Examining contemporary and classic works by Shakespeare, Dickens, and others, students will analyze and explore common themes in literature to learn how advanced writing styles can be applied with different objectives. The course will provide an opportunity for advanced students to gain exposure to challenging prose and topics, and to develop their own writer’s voice.
G5-G6
Competitive Debating is designed to provide the necessary training for school team tryouts and to immediately excel once accepted. With the belief that exposure to debate gives students the ability to articulate their opinions thoughtfully and confidently, Capstone’s Competitive Debating Program teaches core debating skills using the British Parliament (BP) style.
Capstone is the only center in Hong Kong to offer a dedicated British Parliamentary Program. In addition, Capstone students dominate the top speakers list within Hong Kong’s largest debating, Model United Nations, and speaking competitions. Our students have traditionally done very well in speaking-intensive competitions that prize presentation and intelligence.
Course Highlights:
Perfect for:
After the course, students will be able to:
G7-G9
Academic Writing improves students’ mastery of the four main writing genres secondary students encounter at school: persuasive, descriptive, expository, and fiction. Students will develop the tools necessary to research and write essays that are well-organized, clear, and persuasive, and will learn how to use descriptive techniques skillfully to create powerful written images. Students will be challenged with texts that require them to exercise their critical thinking and employ careful analysis to come to their conclusions. In addition to giving students the skills they need to master the four genres, lessons will emphasize the importance of effective planning, editing, and revising.
ACADEMIC WRITING I
Course Highlights:
Appropriately-paced lessons to simultaneously build English language as well as expose students to the various writing genres.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
ACADEMIC WRITING II
Course Highlights:
Exposure to different genres that strengthens students’ overall academic proficiency, while practicing all aspects of the writing process.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
ACADEMIC WRITING III
Course Highlights:
Appropriately-paced lessons to build English language and critical thinking skills, in addition to world knowledge and current events awareness.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
G7-G9
Scholars aims to develop frameworks of analysis that can be used to tackle complex issues, contentious world events, and hypothetical scenarios. Though instructor-supervised analysis, discussion, and collaboration projects, students are taught to engage with and dissect global problems while presenting ideas in well-organized, intelligent arguments. Content comes from a wide range of sources that are meant to challenge comprehension and analysis. Students are expected to synthesize, engage, and present their ideas in a multitude of presentation styles.
SCHOLARS I
Course Highlights:
Continued growth of students’ overall academic proficiency through challenging exercises and assignments that teach advanced techniques.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
SCHOLARS II
Course highlights:
Assignments to help students build their critical thinking, logical reasoning, argumentation, problem-solving, and public speaking skills.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
SCHOLARS III
Course Highlights:
Practice complex and nuanced critical thinking, argumentation, problem-solving, and public speaking skills.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
G7-G9 | G10-12
Capstone’s Competitive Debating program is unparalleled amongst any school-based or external training program in terms of the number and proportion of competition winning debaters. Given the pivot of debating tournaments in the region to the British Parliamentary (BP) format, this program will teach core debating skills using the BP style. Students will learn how to adapt their speeches and deliveries to succeed under the BP rubric of Style, Substance and Strategy. Students will also receive an introduction to the eight unique BP speaker positions, and discover the nuances of each role to see where their own personal speaking strengths fit best.
Debating is Hong Kong’s most prestigious extracurricular activity at the schools level. Each year within Hong Kong’s largest debating, Model United Nations, and speaking competitions, Capstone students dominate the top speakers list.Capstone’s Competitive Debating offering is structured to the same international quality standards of the World Championship while fostering a nurturing learning environment for debaters of any background.
INTRODUCTORY COMPETITIVE DEBATING
Course highlights:
Experiential learning through simulated scenarios where students advocate for affected stakeholders thus practicing their logic and rhetoric skills.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
INTERMEDIATE COMPETITIVE DEBATING
Course highlights:
Specialized exercises in logic rhetoric and competitive argumentation to foster further growth in speaking and confidence.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
ADVANCED COMPETITIVE DEBATING
Course highlights:
Deep discussion and grilling of issues that are used to develop strategic reasoning for the upper levels of competitive debating.
Perfect for students who:
After one year, students will be able to:
G10-G12
Writing, Discussion, & Thinking (WDT) is designed to prepare students for both the academic rigor and discussion-driven learning environment of upper secondary school and university. WDT draws on elements from Capstone’s Academic Writing and Scholars courses to provide high school students with a comprehensive educational experience. Writing assignments contain heavy elements of independent research and demand initiative and an inquisitive approach. Students will revise and workshop their essays with both their teacher and their peers, and in doing so, will develop good habits of drafting and editing that are vital to success at university and beyond. Throughout the course, students will be expected and encouraged to raise questions, challenge opinions, as well as lead discussions of their own. All of this will be set within a lively, academic setting where students will engage intellectually with a wide range of carefully selected and challenging materials from the humanities and social sciences, including philosophy, ethics, and politics.
Course Highlights:
Assignments designed to improve students’ writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills through challenging and engaging content.
Designed for students who:
After the course, students will:
G7 – G9
Early Test Prep is ideal for students seeking to guarantee long-term mastery of various secondary and boarding/preparatory school entrance exams. The course is designed to reinforce vocabulary acquisition and the relevant reading skills and strategies necessary to achieve a higher score on the reading and vocabulary sections of numerous standardized entrance exams including the SSAT, SAT, and ACT. Capstone’s Early Test Prep course utilizes custom-edited passages, vocabulary lists, and quizzes to ensure that students are learning at the right level and are achieving constant progress in their learning.
G7 – G9
Capstone’s SSAT Bootcamp will equip students with the fundamental skills and test-taking strategies needed to take the Upper Level SSAT. Students will learn the vocabulary, reading, and mathematics topics tested on the SSAT. As the SSAT is known for difficult vocabulary questions and wrong answer penalties, students will also learn how to answer test questions in a structured and educated way, practicing application of these techniques during in-class drills and homework assignments. By the end of the course, students will be able to walk in on test day with confidence, knowing exactly what to expect and how to perform to the best of their abilities.
G9 – G11
This course will equip students with the fundamental skills and test-taking strategies needed to tackle the two most important standardized tests for US university admissions: the ACT and SAT. In the first half of the course, students will cover the grammar, reading, and math concepts tested on both the ACT and SAT, and learn the similarities and differences between the tests. In the second half of the course, students will be split into two streams based on their test preference (ACT or SAT) and learn topics and strategies specific to the test of their choice. Students can also opt for drop-in homework sessions with our test prep teachers for additional personalized attention and feedback. Classes will be taught with Capstone’s own ACT+SAT textbook and official ACT/SAT practice tests (materials included in course fee). By the end of the course, students will be able to walk in on test day with confidence, knowing exactly what to expect and how to perform to the best of their abilities.