Glenealy School Newsletter
13th March 2019
Message from Brenda
Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,
Update on GS Principal Recruitment
As you will be aware from last week’s Newsletter, I will be moving on at the end of this academic year. The ESF HR department have been working closely with our School Council members and have now released the advertisement for the post to the international market. Over the next few months, a comprehensive and rigorous recruitment process will take place and there will opportunities at different points for stakeholders to be involved. Andy Lowe, our School Council Chair, and I will keep you informed closer to the time.
March initiatives to thank and appreciate the staff for their outstanding efforts!
You’ll see below the outstanding feedback we got from our recent evaluation. You’ll also appreciate I’m sure, the effort and commitment that goes into achieving a high-quality education like this. Staff always work hard and are extremely dedicated and since August they have contributed above and beyond what was expected in the lead-up to the evaluation visit. We are fortunate to have such a committed team of professionals working at Glenealy.
As a way of continuing to focus on staff well being and to show an appreciation of staff, we are doing a few different things for the remainder of the month of March.
We enjoyed a staff event held after the visit which was a time to celebrate the excellent outcomes from the evaluation. Staff shared a great sense of pride in what had been achieved.
We have spent significant time after school in preparation for the visit, so we will be giving staff back their Monday afternoons in place of regular staff meetings this week and for the rest of March.
We will also be having staff dress casual days on the 15th, 22nd and 29th of March. Encouraging staff to dress casual is a great way to infuse a sense of fun into the workday without doing anything to detract from productivity.
Students can join in if they would like to, as they have done an amazing job too.
These initiatives, along with our ongoing focus of looking after and caring for staff, have been well received.
Thanks for all of your appreciation and support too. That really makes a difference.
CIS / IB Evaluation Feedback
You will be aware that last week we had visitors from the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) carrying out a joint Team Evaluation Visit. The SMT, Andy Lowe (School Council Chair) and school staff were delighted with the feedback. We wanted to share some of the key verbal feedback with you, as we know you will all be interested to know how it went. The final report will contain much more detail. The Visiting Team gave a number of verbal commendations and here is a small snapshot of some of them below:
The school has a clear sense of purpose and direction which is well-embedded in the learning community.
The relationship between the School Council and the Principal is strong with a shared vision and purpose.
The PTA contribution, both in time and resources, creates and contributes to a sense of community that is one of the strongest and best attributes of the school
There is a strong sense of student well-being which is promoted through school-wide initiatives.
Students are well protected and their well-being is of high priority.
The school creates a stimulating learning environment for all learners to flourish.
Teachers know their students well, with each student viewed as an individual. Learning is personalised and planned for accordingly.
Students are aware of themselves as learners, they are empowered and take ownership of their learning, knowing their strengths and areas for development.
Students have voice and choice in their learning, and meaningful action occurs in both big and small ways.
Assessment data is used effectively by the school to inform teaching and learning.
The SMT develop positive relationships with all staff, starting with effective recruitment processes and supported by high quality continuous professional development
Some of the next steps include:
Supporting parents’ understanding of assessments used in the school and relevant data received from these.
Exploring opportunities to support home language development for children who do not have English as a first language.
Considering ways to ensure that all adults on school premises during arrival and dismissal are authorised to be on campus.
A formal report will be completed and shared with the school within approximately 8 weeks, and this will include a list of commendations and recommendations to help validate the good work that we know is happening here at Glenealy, whilst also helping us to identify our next steps as we seek to continually improve in order to become the best that we can be. This report will be shared with the school community when it is received.
Many thanks to you all for your support of the process and for being active partners in your child’s education. Thanks also to those of you who serve on committees to support the school. It is a privilege to work with the Glenealy Community and achieve great things together.
Something else to make you smile or shed a tear!
We have just launched our new ‘We Are Glenealy’ video on our website. It is a fantastic video created by Hardeep Jandu, our in-house photographer. It’s well worth the three minutes to watch it from start to end!
Hardeep sets out to tell a story in her videos and this one certainly captures all things Glenealy!
Enjoy!
Kind regards
Brenda
Dates for your Diary
Friday 22nd March
Glenealy's Got Talent - (performer's parents have been notified)
Tuesday 26th March
School Council Meeting 12:45 pm - 2:00 pm
Friday 29th March
Year 2 Fundraiser 3:00 pm
Monday 1st April
8:15 am - 9:00 am Year 4 camp meeting for parents
Thursday 4th April
ESF Choral Concert- Queen Elizabeth Stadium
Friday 5th April
Ching Ming Festival-school closed
Wednesday 10th April
Year 6 Exhibition Evening 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Friday 12th April
End of Term 2 - school closes at 12:00 noon
Monday 29th April
Start of Term 3
Wednesday 1st May
Labour Day -school closed
Thursday 9th May - Friday 10th May
Year 4 camp
Monday 13th May
Day following Buddha's Birthday- school closed
Tuesday 14th May
School Council Meeting 12:45 pm - 2:00 pm
Thursday 6th June
Glenealy CPD day- no school for students
Friday 7th June
Public Holiday- Tuen Ng (Dragon Boat) Festival
Friday 28th June
End of Term 3
PTA News
Year 2 Fundraiser
The Year 2 Fundraiser will take place on Friday 29th March at 3:00 pm in the playground. Bring $5-$20 and join us for Easter themed games and sweet treats! Look out for more details in next week's Newsletter.
P.E. News
HKPSSA Island Tag Rugby
Mr. Buckley and I are very proud of the attitude and effort that each student showed.
Thank you also to Paddy Cook and Alex Tunesi for helping to coach the team.
UNICEF Kid Power Update
This week we have begun synchronising the steps from students' bands onto the Kid Power app. Whilst not all classes have had their bands synced at the time of writing, we are taking literally millions of steps together as a school. Data will be shared with students in good time.
Also, we would like to thank those families who have signed up for late registration using the Google Form shared last week. We will communicate the next steps with you once we have liaised with UNICEF. Please appreciate that there is no set time frame at the moment.
Kind regards,
Andy Pattison
News from the Medical room
Please could parents arrange for the records to be picked up by an adult from the Nurse's room.
Growing up Online- Information Evenings for Parents
An informative & entertaining session for Parents and carers is delivered with Susan McLean's famous 'no-nonsense' approach & will cover the positive benefits of technology as well as what parents need to be aware of.
Please register on the links below if you are interested.
The cost would be $200 per person.
Monday 8th April 2019
ESF Centre - http://bit.ly/ESF_CyberBully2019
Tuesday 9th April 2019
West Island School - http://bit.ly/ESF_CyberBullly_WIS2019
Thursday 11th April 2019
School Photos - Online Ordering
The deadline for ordering student's photos via the school has now passed, but you are still able to order via Techni Photo’s online ordering service. Please note there will be a small surcharge for this.
1. Go the Techni Photo web site http://www.techni-photo.com/order/
(Please use the latest Google Chrome Browser on your computer or laptop. You are advised not to use any smart phone to place your orders).
2. Select “Order”.
3. With the proof card provided to you please input the “Unique Code” and “Last Name” as it is shown on the proof card. (Please note it is case sensitive, and needs to be exactly as shown on the card).
Lost Property
Can all parents and caregivers check if there is anything in Lost Property that belongs to their child (ren) as any remaining items will be cleared and donated to charity at the end of this term.
Important Reminder
Has your child's visa status changed?
As a reminder, all children attending an ESF school need the appropriate and valid visa status to do so. Please inform the school if your child's visa status changes. For more information, you may refer to the Immigration section on the ESF website.
Useful School Forms
Medical Authorisation Form - required should your child need to take medication whilst at school, on a school trip or camp
ESF/Glenealy Calendar for 2018/19
Please refer closely to this calendar for any important events, (e.g . booking your holidays) for this academic year.
ESF Draft Calendar for 2019-20
.
The start date for 2020/21 shown for indication only. We recommend individuals and families avoid making travel plans for August 2020 until the school start date and back to school work date are confirmed.
Extra Curricular Activities Term 2 2018-19
Disclaimer Notice: Glenealy School does not endorse or represent the accuracy, truthfulness or reliability of these advertisements placed by outside agencies.
- ESF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES - Soccer
2711 1280
- BANANA ART CLUB (Art)
Michelle - 6020 5476
- FOUNDATION ACADEMY (Film Makers)
Namrata Bindra -3107 8810
namrata.bindra@foundationge.com
TUESDAY
- ESF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES - Sports Clubs & Tennis
2711 1280
Website: http://www.esf.org.hk/index.asp
- Brownies
Penny Donowho - 9181 7318
- CHESS CLUB
Yin Ping Ho 2884 1420 / 9215 2682
- CENTER STAGE STUDIOS (Musical Theatre)
Imogen Taylor - 5236 7960
admin@centrestagestudioshk.com
WEDNESDAY
- ESF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES - Basketball
2711 1280
website: http://www.esf.org.hk/index.asp
- THE CLASSROOM BY MG (Litteracy)
Mary Godridge - 9103 4378
THURSDAY
- ESF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES - Tennis
2711 1280
Website: http://www.esf.org.hk/index.asp
- APPDEV-X (Coding)
FRIDAY
- ESF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES - Tennis & Gymnastics
2711 1280
Website: http://www.esf.org.hk/index.asp
- MOK'S TAEKWONDO SELF-DEFENCE (Tae Kwon Do)
Charles Mok - 9494 7636
- ACTIVE KIDS (Science Adventures)
Elsie - 3480 4199
- BRILLIANT LEARNING (Sanskriti)
Geetnajali Dhar - 9830 0612
geetanjali@sanskritiglobal.org
SATURDAY
- ESF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES - Tennis & Gymnastics
2711 1280
Website: http://www.esf.org.hk/index.asp
- READ FOR MEANING (Reading)
Mary Barker - 2523 0062 / 9401 4559