DC Staff Update
15 May 2016
I'm grateful this week for...
...the work that the Wellbeing/PosEd Lead Team have been doing in terms of guiding us in this area - the staff meeting last week, regular staff and Explorer updates, and a really worthwhile planning day last Thursday at ESFC.
...the very generous May birthday morning tea on Thursday
...the Y2 team and primary staff who helped at the Y2 sleepover on Friday night. From all accounts a very successful event although I've been told the Yearbook description may need to be edited slightly!!!
Sick leave changes
ESF has recently revised the Sick Leave Policy by including a section entitled Implementation of Sick Leave Management. The DC Staff Handbook has been updated with a copy of this new policy.
Under the current policy, the Principal has the right to waive the requirement of a Hong Kong doctor’s/medical certificate for sick leave of 2 days or less, which is what we do at DC. The new Sick Leave Management formalises a process whereby schools may require a medical certificate for sick leave less than 2 days.
In response to the new policy, the following is being implemented at DC, namely:
Where a staff member has taken sick leave for a cumulative period exceeding 10 days in the previous rolling 12-month period, [at DC we will not be including circumstances such as pregnancies, accidents or operations in this calculation] then the staff member will be required to submit a doctor’s certificate for subsequent sick leave absences, including those of 1 or 2 days.
Staff who are affected by this will be contacted individually. Please be aware that, under the new policy, any sick leave unsupported by a medical certificate, when required, will be considered unpaid leave.
Sick leave functionality has been added to eAccess with some 13 schools already using this. Recent enhancements have made the tool more user-friendly, including the ability to upload a doctor’s medical certificate directly from a mobile device such as an iPhone, Android, iPad or tablet. From September this year, all ESF schools are required to use this tool instead of the current paper process. Information and instructions on how this will happen will be sent to you all shortly.
staff social committee
Thank you to those staff who came along to be part of the new Staff Social Committee - Tanya, Gill, Mandy N, Suet Yi, Pat, Peter and myself. We are considering a new structure for next year's 'formal' events, but in the meantime had to decide on a couple of more pressing events.
- Friday 17 June has been advised as the Staff End-of-Year function. Given the timing of the year, we have decided to go with a more casual event of drinks, strating from from 4pm, hopefully at the Sports Bar next to the Auberge Hotel (TBC). Drinks would be buy your own and the Social Club would fund bar snacks/finger food.
- Monday 20 June (3.30-4.30pm) is a whole school staff meeting to farewell those teachers leaving at the end of this year. Cash bar.
- Friday 26 August is our annual Staff and Family BBQ. Again looking at Cheung Sha Beach, however, we are hoping to be able to subsidise this event to a greater extent in order to bring the costs down further.
Please diary both these dates - more information to come. If any of you would like to be involved as part of the committee, our next meeting is 7.45am on Wednesday 1 June.
Positive Health - Nutrition workshop #2
Thursday 19 May at 4.30pm
Location: Food Room 5/F
The focus is on dispelling myths from the food industry and looking at every day food items. Please send Gill an email if you are interested in attending for planning purposes.
Whole college CPD day - Saturday 28 May
A heads-up that our CPD day is coming up Saturday 28 May. The programmes for the day can be found in the Primary and Secondary updates. Please also note that a BBQ lunch will be provided.
Digital Life survey - part 4
Further thoughts from our staff in regards to the Digital Life Survey:
- 60% of staff felt that the use of technology is embedded into their curriculum plans. 18% were undecided whilst 22% do not think it is. There is a committee for Secondary, lead by Kirsty and Jonny, who are mapping out the ATL skills in the MYP and investigating opportunities for better integration.
- 37% of our staff felt that technology helps with differentiated learning. Interestingly, 31% disagree. This is an area we will explore further with the LDT and the wider teaching staff.
The Digital Review Committee
This week
- Belinda Greer, the ESF CEO, will be visiting DC on Monday morning to speak with two groups of staff (teachers and support staff). Belinda will be in the staff room at recess. Thank you to those of you have agreed to meet with Belinda.
- This coming week is the last week of DP exams
- Primary Sports Day next Friday (Y4-6 am / Y1-3 pm) on the Foreshore.