Glenealy School Newsletter
13th September 2017
Message from Brenda
Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students
Have you booked your time to meet with your child’s teacher yet? Get in quick!
Please click here for the information from last week’s newsletter including instructions on booking through the Gateway system.
Note below, the roles and responsibilities for each party during the conferences.
3 Way Conference - Clarification of Roles
Students (Years 3 - 6, Year 2 optional, Year 1 do not attend) - I will:
✓ Share some of my learning and targets
✓ Be an active listener
✓ be on time
Parents - I will:
✓ be an active listener
✓ encourage my/our child to be reflective
✓ ask questions of the teacher or my child to find out more
Teachers - I will:
✓ manage the time effectively
✓ be an active listener
✓ facilitate the conference
✓ provide probing questions
✓ clarify where necessary
We hope to see you at the ESF 50th Anniversary Marathon and Carnival day.
Don’t be deceived by the title - I”m certainly not up to walking or running a marathon although I know many of you are! Myself and many of the Glenealy staff and their families will be walking the 3km race - hopefully you can join us and other GS families too. Would you like your child to perform on stage at the carnival on the same day? We have an option to put forward a couple of items. If your child/ren has a well-rehearsed item ready to go that would be suitable to perform on a portable stage - please let us know by contacting Nicole on enquiry@glenealy.edu.hk Please include the name and class of your child, the item and timing of each act.
Please click on the website below to enrol in the race!
School Photos
A reminder that school photos take place tomorrow, Thursday September 14th. A full school photo will be taken at 8.30am, please ensure your child is at school on time!
Please note, order forms have not yet been sent home as Techni Photo are implementing an additional online ordering option to all ESF Schools this year, to replace the pre-pay system. An individual photo proof card will be attached to the order form and sent home with your child 2 weeks after the school photo day.
Please be reminded that students in Year 3 & 4 will need to come to school tomorrow wearing their school uniform. We will be having our school photos before starting our PE lesson. Year 3 & 4 students will also be required to bring with them their PE uniform to change into once we have finished having our photos taken (please ensure all uniform is labelled). Please make sure you pack trainers.
A note from our new Chair of School Council - Andy Lowe
On my first day as council chair I was welcomed by some of our wonderful Glenealy students. Even though it was just a chance encounter in the school hallway the students shook my hand and introduced themselves with big,warm smiles. Some described concepts they’d just been working on in class and others were eager to show me their writing. It was a lovely experience and reinforced how pleased I am to be joining Brenda and the team here.
As you'll already know Glenealy has an enviable reputation. For the last seven years I’ve worked alongside many former (and justifiably proud) Glenealy parents on the PTA at Island School. At Island School we endearingly talk about “School Spirit” - that intangible but all-important special ingredient that makes a school more than just the sum of what goes on in the classrooms. Stepping through the gates of Glenealy I felt that similar esprit de corps: happy students, committed teachers and a highly engaged and vibrant community.
This year we're welcoming several new members to the council: two teachers, Rachel Lavery and Robyn Bellerby; a new parent rep, Sam Guthrie, and a new rep from ESFC, Derek Pinchbeck. We’re also welcoming back Asit Shah, Christine Meaney, Dixon Nguyen and Elaine Wang. Thank you for for your on-going commitment to Glenealy. Of course we have very big shoes to fill and I want to acknowledge the accomplishments and dedication of our recently retired members namely David Whalley, Judy Vas, Nick Phillips, Dave Buckley and Trish Oliver. Thank you for the tremendous legacy you have left us.
I am very optimistic about the future. I promise to bring energy and commitment to the work I do and I trust that the varied leadership experiences from my professional career will be useful additions to the council. I’m tremendously excited to be starting my term and I would like to thank everyone for their welcome and support.
Year 6 Camp
All the best to our Year 6 camp team who will be heading off next week for a two day camp to Lantau. Lots of fun and adventure to be had!
Regards
Brenda
Dates for the Diary
1st - 30th September
Year 1 ESF Central Application period
Friday 15th September
Deadline for Year 7 ESF transfer
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
- KGV Year 6 Parent Information Evening @ KGV
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
Monday 16th October
GGT auditions @ lunchtime
Tuesday 17th October
GGT auditions @ lunchtime
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
Friday 24th November
Year 3 fundraiser @ 3pm
Thursday 14th December
GGT - Glenealys Got Talent show
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.
GGT - Glenealys Got Talent
Auditions for Term 1's GGT are at lunchtime on Monday 16 October & Tuesday 17 October
Please save the date for Term 1's GGT show on Thursday, 14 December
PTA
Year 6 “Space Carnival” was out of this world!
The Year 6 students and parents would like to thank those who helped to make their fundraiser a success, raising in excess of $12,000!
Family Bingo Night
Bingo tickets are sold out! Unfortunately, there will be no ticket sales at the door on the night as seats are limited due to Health & Safety regulations. For those who already have tickets, we can’t wait to see you for Bingo, pizza and prizes!
Save the Date - PTA AGM and Fashion Launch of Glenealy's New School Uniform!
Parents and caregivers are warmly invited to attend the Glenealy Parent Teacher Association Limited's Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday, 12 October 2017. Drinks and nibbles will be served from 5.45 p.m. in The Centre, with the AGM starting promptly at 6.00 p.m. The Fashion Launch of our new school uniform will follow - come and see our students modelling the new look!
We are actively looking for new members to join the PTA Committee. Nomination Forms will be available via next week's newsletter. In the meantime, if you want to know more or would like to talk to someone about what is involved, please contact Erika by email to pta@glenealy.net.
Parents as Partners
In last week's newsletter we provided information about how to access safer search engines in the Parents as Partners section of the Glenealy Globe.
Building on from this I would like to share information on how to access a fantastic online resource that can be used as an independent tool to support students in Reading.
After following the instructions to enter the Parents as Partners page on Glenealy Globe (shared in the Newsletters over the last few weeks) Click on the language button.
- Click on the Language button
- Then select English followed by Reading
- Followed by Useful Websites
At the moment there is only one website available Raz-Kidz.com. Click on this image. The student will need to log on at this point. Their log-on information can be found in their diary. This is a vast resource of reading books which can be read or listened to online. There are activities with each text to be completed independently. Each student will be allocated a range of texts that they can read independently by their Class teacher. Happy independent reading.
Kind Regards,
Phil Sangster
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.
KGV Year 6 Parent Information Evening
Prospective parents are invited to attend the KGV Year 6 Parent Information Evening, 5.30-6.30pm in the school hall on Tuesday 19th September.
Please note there is no visitor parking on the school site. No RSVP is necessary. For any enquiries, please contact sarah.jones@kgv.edu.hk
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
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
Extra Curricular Activities, Term 1
Disclaimer Notice: Glenealy School does not endorse or represent the accuracy, truthfulness or reliability of these advertisements placed by outside agencies.