Glenealy School Newsletter
6th September 2017
Message from Brenda
Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students
Island School Meeting - Tonight at Glenealy School!
I’m looking forward to seeing you in the Centre tonight to introduce you to Stephen Loggie - Island School Principal. Stephen will be presenting information about Island School and the transition to their new campuses which will take place for term 2 January 2018. We have over 100 people registered for this event which I’m sure will be both interesting and informative. See you there!
Welcome to our new Parent Representative on our School Council
A note from Sam Guthrie:
At the beginning of 2017 we moved our son Oliver from Nord Anglia to Glenealy. Both the philosophy and the culture of EFS resonated with us and we believed Oliver would receive a fabulous education within this nurturing and inspiring environment. In just over six months this has come to pass. We are delighted with Oliver's experience, and as an extremely appreciative parent I am pleased to 'give back' to the school by lending a hand on the Council.
I am a diplomat, holding the role of Deputy Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Australian Consulate in Hong Kong where I run the Australian Trade and Investment Commission. I am also a board member of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong & Macau and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Before working for government I was based in Sydney in a Corporate Communications and Investor Relations firm, prior to which I was General Manager Global Business Development for the Woolmark business, based in Shanghai for 5 years as Country Manager.
I will bring to the Council solid governance and communications expertise, significant Hong Kong networks and a lot of experience listening and acting on the concerns and ideas of the community.
Sam Guthrie
3-Way Conferences
No doubt you are eager to find out how your child is going at school and to learn from them and their teacher about what is going well and what could be even better? You will be able to secure your appointment time from Friday September 8th at 4pm by booking on-line through Gateway.
All class teachers will be available on the days/times below and each teacher will also have other timeslots on alternative days which you will be able to see when you log on to the Gateway to book your appointment.
The two set days for all classroom teachers will be:
Tuesday 26 September from 3.30 - 7pm
Thursday 28 September from 3.30 - 7pm
How to book an appointment?
The booking system will open on Gateway Friday September 8th at 4pm and will close Monday September 25th. This will give you ample time to book a time which is most convenient for your family. We recommend you make your booking as soon as possible as certain timeslots always fill up quickly and allow a 15 minute buffer between sibling appointments so that you can arrive on time.
To log in to Gateway
You may log in to Gateway by typing this URL into any browser: https://gs.tg.esf.edu.hk/login.php?CurPage=/
Once you have logged in click on ‘Parent Consultations’ on the homepage to reserve your timeslot. If you have forgotten your log in information, click the ‘forgot password or log in name’ box which will cause a new password to be emailed to you immediately.
If you subsequently need to amend your appointment, this is possible by going through the same process and double clicking on the time you originally reserved which will allow you to cancel and re-book.
We look forward to seeing you during one of the consultation days.
We encourage all children from years 3-6 to join these sessions with you. It is optional for year 2 students to attend and we don’t include year 1’s in these sessions, as they are a bit too young at this stage.
These conferences are part of our annual reporting cycle which includes:
Term 1
● Meet the teacher
● 3-way conferences
● Inquiry reports (after each 2 units)
Term 2
● Half year written report
● Student led conferences
● Inquiry reports
Term 3
● End of year Report
Please also be reminded that you can contact a teacher at any time outside of these scheduled meetings if you have queries or concerns. Please make an appointment via your child’s school diary.
ESF Carnival
We are all looking forward to the upcoming ESF 50th Anniversary Carnival on Sunday, October 22nd in Central. In addition to the scheduled running events there will be games booths, entertainment performances and hands on workshops. The carnival is open to all parents and students and entry is free – I hope to see you there! For more information, please see the flyer below.
Personal Digital Devices in School
We have a growing number of children who are bringing phones to school and some are wearing devices that also have connectivity to the internet. At primary school we don’t expect students to be bringing these sort of devices to school.
If is is essential that your child has a phone with them, please email their teacher to let them know why and we will make special arrangements for the phone to be secured throughout the day. Students should not be playing with phones before or after school in the playground. Thanks for you help with this.
Regards
Brenda
Dates for the Diary
1st - 30th September
Year 1 ESF Central Application period
4th - 15th September
Year 7 ESF transfer application opens on Gateway for Year 6 students
Wednesday 6th September
Island School parents meeting @ 5.30pm at Glenealy School
Friday 8th September
- Year 6 fundraiser @ 3pm
- 3 Way Conference booking opens on Gateway @ 4pm
Tuesday 12th September
South Island School open day
Thursday 14th September
- School Photos
- Family bingo evening @ 5pm
18th - 19th September
Year 6 camp
Tuesday 19th September
Chinese Information Meeting @ 8.30am in the Centre
Wednesday 20th September
West Island School open day
Week beginning 25th September
Happy Valley P.E. sessions commence for Yr 4 - 6
Tuesday 26th & Thursday 28th September
3 Way Conferences at Glenealy
Friday 29th September
CPD day - no school for students
October 2nd - 6th
Half term break - school closed
Friday 13th October
Dress Casual Day - HK Community Chest
Friday 20th October
ESF CPD Day - school closed
Sunday 22nd October
ESF 50th Anniversary Marathon - carnival day (see below)
Friday 10th November
PTA Fair @ 5pm Glenealy School
Chinese Information Meeting
Come and find out more about our Mandarin Programme.
The Chinese staff will be holding an information morning for parents and caregivers on Tuesday 19 September from 8.30 - 9.30am in The Centre at Glenealy School.
This will be a chance to find out more about the programme, explore how we teach and the resources we use. This will be suitable for parents of all ages as it will highlight learning throughout the school. Please RSVP here to enrol. We look forward to seeing you.
Reminder!
For more information about our after school/activity policy please click here.
From the Medical Room
Vision Screening
Vision screening takes place at Glenealy School on September 21st. If you would like your child to participate in the vision screening please download the application form here.Mosquitoes
If your child is susceptible to mosquito bites please apply insect repellent to them before school each morning as we have noticed a number of mosquitoes around school after all the recent rain.
PTA
Year 6 “Space Carnival” Fundraiser
The Year 6 Bake Sale fundraiser will take place on Friday, 8th September at 3:00 p.m. in the playground. Please bring $10-20 and join us for games and sweet treats.
Family Bingo Night
Please join us for an evening of Bingo, food and the chance to win!
The PTA will host a Family Bingo Night in the Centre on Thursday, 14th September from 5:00-7:00 p.m. (first call at 5:30 p.m.). For Health & Safety reasons, seats are strictly limited.
To get your tickets you need to:
1. Fill out the Google form
2. Send in your payment – clearly labelled with child’s name and class
3. Receive your tickets – they will be sent home with your child
Please click here for ticketing information and the google form. We are also looking for volunteers to help at the event. Please contact Erika at pta@glenealy.net
Parents as Partners
Safer search engines
As part of the Primary Years Programme here at Glenealy students are encouraged to take their learning beyond the classroom and explore their own questions and interests about the world. However, through our Digital Citizenship programme students also understand the importance of being safe with our searches when online. To support students with this we ask them to use only the safer search engines identified in the Glenealy Library webpage.
Students can access the webpage by clicking on the library button via the Glenealy Globe, then their year group, followed by the safe search engine button. Here you will find a range of links to safer search sites:
Although these search engines have stronger filters and are much safer than an open Google search, it is still important to be mindful of the content your child is accessing. Setting your children up in a space where you have an open view of the screen is a good strategy in enabling you to check in to ensure the content being accessed is age appropriate.
Kind Regards,
Dave Buckley
ESF Year 1 and Year 7 Admissions
Year 1 Central Application period for children born in 2013 commences 1-30 September 2017. Please click here for Year 1 key dates.
For Year 6 students, the submission of the Year 7 secondary transfer application on Gateway commences Monday 4 September - Friday 15 September 2017.
Allocation for secondary schools will be determined by residential zone at the start of Year 6.
For further details, parents should refer to the information available on the ESF website at http://www.esf.edu.hk/year6-to-year7-key-dates/ for key dates and http://www.esf.edu.hk/esf-zones for school zones.
All newly joined Year 6 students are guaranteed a Year 7 place but not necessarily for the school of zone.
Please note, ESF reserves the right to redirect students based on majority of transferring cohorts in primary school should there be overcapacity at any of the secondary schools.
Year 7 offer letters will be sent to parents from the respective secondary schools in early December and the Year 7 deposit payment deadline to secure their secondary school place is Friday 15 December 2017.
West Island School Open Day: Wednesday 20th September
Open Day: A day in the life of West Island School
You are warmly invited to an open day on Wednesday 20 September. Our staff and students look forward to hosting you and will provide a tour around our classrooms to see learning in action and a typical day at West Island School.
Please arrive during the morning at a time which suits you between 8.30 and 10.45am. We will sign you in on the 6th floor main entrance with our security team and ask that you wear a visitor’s ID badge. You are also welcome to join our whole school assembly from 11.05 to 11.40am which will give you a sense of our whole school community working together. Please sign out on departure and note that unfortunately there is no car-parking available for visitors.
If your child is at primary school during this time and wishes to join the tour with you, please do seek permission from the Principal concerned.
Please click here to register and confirm your attendance.
I look forward to meeting and sharing our school with you.
Yours faithfully,
Christopher Sammons
Principal
South Island School Open Day: Tuesday 12th September
We would like to extend a warm invitation for you to visit South Island on our Whole School Open Day. This is a chance to see the school in action – and to gain an authentic feel for our school and our learning environments. In the past, parents have found this a valuable opportunity to visit the school, gain an understanding of our location and facilities and to meet some of our staff.
The structure of the day:
10:35 am – 10:50 am Presentation from our Principal (Hall, 2/F)
10:50 am – 12:35 pm Classroom Visits
12:35 pm – 1:15 pm Light refreshments with the PTA and our Head Prefects – Question time (Hall, 2/F)
Student lunch – all students will be out of lessons at this time
1:15 pm – 2:45 pm More Classroom Visits
2:45 pm Whole School Open Day ends
On arrival, please come to the School Hall on the second floor of the Ching Ling Soong building (“C block”) to register, we will provide refreshments, maps and students who will be happy to conduct you on a tour of the school. If you are unable to attend the Presentation, you are welcome to visit the school throughout the session. Please feel free to visit classrooms, get a taste of the lessons that are in progress, and get a flavour of the way our curriculum is developed. It is not expected that you stay for the duration of a lesson, rather that you pop in for a ‘taste’ of what the lesson is like. It is also an opportunity to visit other classrooms and subjects so you are able to experience all age groups. As you walk around the building you will be able to view some of our recent renovations and excellent facilities. We would ask that you refrain from any videoing of lessons as this does contravene student privacy.
Due to limited parking on the school site, we advise you to travel by public transport or taxi.
We look forward to meeting you on Tuesday 12th September. In the meantime, should you have any questions concerning this event do not hesitate to contact me by email at candrews@sis.edu.hk
Carolyn Andrews
Vice Principal / MYP Coordinator
South Island School
ESF 50th Anniversary Carnival and Marathon
Date: Sunday, 22 October 2017
Time: Starting from 8:00am
Venue: Lung Wo Road, Central
Distance: 1Km, 3Km, 6Km and 10Km
Open to: Students and families, teachers, support staff and their families and friends
Registration fee: Individual $180 / Family Run $300 or $400
Online registration: http://marathon.esf.edu.hk
Useful School Forms
Medical Authorisation Form - required should your child need to take medication whilst at school, on a school trip or camp
Glenealy Brownie Pack
The Glenealy Brownie Pack has a couple of vacancies for girls in Y3 and Y4 starting this term. The Brownies meet from 3:00 to 4:30 on Tuesdays at Glenealy School. Brownies is run by volunteers so our fee for each term is $400 or less.
We offer a varied programme that aims to equip the girls with the knowledge and skills to become more independent and develop character. They learn in a fun, non-formal way by having a go and doing a wide range of activities that may include sewing, first aid, crafts, personal care, safety etc. Brownies is structured to give the girls opportunities to develop teamwork and leadership skills. The highlight of each year is an overnight camp in dormitories where they can put the skills they have learnt into practice.
Our pack belongs to the Hong Kong Girl Guide Association and is part of the Worldwide Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. If you would like your daughter to join the Brownie Pack, please complete the application form and email it to pennykennington@hotmail.com
Extra Curricular Activities, Term 1
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