FAREWELL: MATT LUCAS
Just One More Game!
by Carolina Wen '23
Matt Lucas and fellow faculty and staff doing what he loved best- playing games!
Upper Primary (UP) days seem like a blur to many students like me, but many will have at least one distinct memory from Physical Education (PE) class. And it’s because of the games. PE teacher Matt Lucas has played a huge part in creating these memories. Lucas explains, “It is the interaction with other people and that whole concept of play. Having an issue, working through that issue, resolving the issue.” PE is a place for students to be outside of their comfort zones.
In the Upper Primary, students and whole classes are given the opportunity to design their own games. Some ideas are loftier than others and many don’t come to fruition, but there are some success stories. One example is The Mighty Battleship Ronan, which was created by a student whose namesake is in the game title. Despite initial failures, Ronan persisted, and the game has now become a beloved mainstay of Upper Primary PE classes.
Mr. Lucas will be taking another adventure after 16 years of teaching at HKIS. When asked what he hopes to leave as a legacy at HKIS, Lucas replied that “legacy is a big word for an institution like HKIS.” Teachers are in a student’s life only for a period of time, and he feels he has made a mark on a student’s journey if they remember their old teachers when they are in university. Especially when a situation occurs and they remember something they learned from that teacher. To him, “that would be the legacy any teacher could hope for. We change people in little ways over the years and a lot of people contribute to who they [students] become.”
In the Upper Primary, students and whole classes are given the opportunity to design their own games. Some ideas are loftier than others and many don’t come to fruition, but there are some success stories. One example is The Mighty Battleship Ronan, which was created by a student whose namesake is in the game title. Despite initial failures, Ronan persisted, and the game has now become a beloved mainstay of Upper Primary PE classes.
Mr. Lucas will be taking another adventure after 16 years of teaching at HKIS. When asked what he hopes to leave as a legacy at HKIS, Lucas replied that “legacy is a big word for an institution like HKIS.” Teachers are in a student’s life only for a period of time, and he feels he has made a mark on a student’s journey if they remember their old teachers when they are in university. Especially when a situation occurs and they remember something they learned from that teacher. To him, “that would be the legacy any teacher could hope for. We change people in little ways over the years and a lot of people contribute to who they [students] become.”
Matt Lucas is all smiles with his family.
When reflecting on his time at HKIS, Mr. Lucas shares how supportive the school is to teachers and their craft. For example, a week ago, the PE teachers were able to set up pickleball nets in the cafeteria with very short notice. “We have the resources to create something whenever the opportunity arises”, recounts Lucas “That’s the magic of HKIS.”
Mr. Lucas, we wish you all the best in your next journey. Thank you for all you have done at HKIS for the school and for the students!
Stay in touch with Matt Lucas at eas2023hk@gmail.com.
Mr. Lucas, we wish you all the best in your next journey. Thank you for all you have done at HKIS for the school and for the students!
Stay in touch with Matt Lucas at eas2023hk@gmail.com.