Glenealy School Newsletter
7th November 2018
Message from Brenda
Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,
As I write this newsletter, the Year 5 team and many Glenealy staff will be having fun at the 3-day overnight camp at Treasure Island Camp in Lantau. Staff members joining the Year 5 camp include Mrs Matthews and our Camp Coordinator, Mrs Lavery. Mrs Matthews class is being taught by a very experienced and regular supply teacher at Glenealy, Mrs Shiu and Mrs Lavery’s class is being taught by Mrs Bellerby. I will also be on Year 5 camp so in my absence Phil Sangster will be Acting Principal.
Happy Diwali!
Good wishes today to all our Glenealy Community who are celebrating this Festival of Light.
If your child would like to wear Indian inspired clothing to celebrate Diwali, please feel free to do so on Friday 9th November.
New playgrounds are coming….watch this space!
At a recent meeting with ESF colleagues and our School Council facilities subcommittee, it was decided that we can officially start the redevelopment of our two playgrounds upstairs. This is great news!
The work will begin on our final day of school in December and at that point, both playgrounds will be closed for approximately a year. The redevelopment will take place in 3 phases. The first being the demolition of what is already there, secondly the waterproofing, new fencing, re-positioning of some of air-conditioning units etc... and preparing the surface. Both phase 1 and 2 are big projects and will expect to take some months to complete. The current timeline shows that phase 3, the fun stage, when new flooring is laid and new equipment is installed and the vision of our exciting new learning and play areas becomes a reality, is expected to take place around October 2019. Obviously with any building works, it relies on many variables so this is an approximate guide, but certainly an exciting one.
During the year-long redevelopment stage we will change our timetables slightly to accommodate the younger children using the down stairs playgrounds for snack and lunch play followed by the older students. We will give you more details soon.
As a reminder, the school and the PTA have been saving money for this project for over 18 months now. The playgrounds will be used by Years 1 - 3 during snack and lunch times, however, they will be accessible to older classes to use as outdoor classrooms during lesson times. So it’s a project for the whole school to get excited about!
The designs for the rooftop are nearly complete. We will make some final tweaks to these and also design a complimentary playground outside the Year 1 classrooms. Children and staff will be involved in the process and we will consult with you along the way.
So make sure you come along to the School Fair on Friday 23rd November as most of the proceeds raised will go to this fantastic redevelopment project. Not to mention the fact that it will also be a terrific community evening where we can all have fun together.
Your Child and Technology! (Mobile devices and tablets)
By popular demand we have Kevin Tibble back at Glenealy for one final technology workshop for parents. This is a repeat of the session held at the start of the year that many of you were unable to attend. This time we have organised a morning session from 8:30-10:00 am. Please refer to the flyer in the newsletter which has a link to RSVP. Parents who attended earlier in the year felt very empowered to take back control!
Kind regards
Brenda
Dates for your Diary
Monday 5th- Friday 9th November
Box of Hope donations
Monday 12th November
Vision Screening
Tuesday 20th November
Kevin Tibble's Technology Workshop 8:30 am-10:00 am at Glenealy School
Friday 23rd November
PTA School Fair 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Monday 26th November
Year 1 and Year 6 Immunisations
Friday 30th November
Sports Day
Thursday 6th December
Honk the Musical 1st performance 7:00 pm
Saturday 8th December
Honk the Musical 2nd performance 6:00 pm
Thursday 13th December
Christmas Carol Concert - afternoon
Friday 14th December
End of Term 1- school closes at 12:00 noon
PTA News
Year 3 Fundraiser – Friday 2nd November
Congratulations to the Year 3 Parents and their army of volunteers who made Friday's Spooky Bake sale such a huge success. There was an amazing choice of delicious treats and games to enjoy. The event raised in excess of $12,500. Well done Year 3.
School Fair – It’s time to volunteer!
A big thank you to everyone who has already signed up to help on this day. There will be exciting games and crafts for the children, delicious hot food from our diverse cuisines and a variety of stalls to shop from while you munch on pop-corn. It’s time to put on your helping hats to support us on the day of the Fair. If you are able to help, please complete the Google Form here. We will ensure that your time slot does not clash with your child’s musical performance.
School Fair - Collections
We will soon be collecting for:
· Second-hand books
· Spin and Win jars (click here for inspiration and ideas)
· New or nearly-new toys, games and puzzles in good condition -gently loved items only please.
We will advise of collection times for these items in next week’s newsletter.
Last Call for Second-Hand School Uniforms – Monday 12th November 8:30 am
Glenealy School PTA is committed to the responsible recycling and re-use of school uniform and we welcome donations of old style second hand uniform at the shop. We are having one final collection of second hand uniform before sending it to the charity "Cross Roads" for distribution to needy families overseas. Please bring any donations to the Uniform Shop on Monday 12th at 8:30 am. Please note that this will be the last collection of old style second hand uniform.
Box of Hope
Have you brought in your Box yet?
The Box of Hope is an annual charity project aimed at providing useful/educational gifts to underprivileged children in Hong Kong & Asia. Many Hong Kong schools donate things to help these children to bring a big smile on their faces. What you have to do is fill a shoe box with some things and then wrap it with some colourful or nice paper.
Details of the items and how to pack the box can be found on a special label that the Events Team of Year 6 have given to each class.
The drop off dates for the filled boxes are the 5th- 9th of November. The deadline will be on 9th November so make sure to remember! When you bring your Box Of Hope to school, please drop them off to either Mr. Sangster or Mr. Buckley’s office . Like they say, charity begins at home!
If you have more questions, go to the Box Of Hope website here or ask us. We can be found in the 6B & 6S classrooms.
The Marvellous Media Mavericks,
Hayley Stork, Koel Malhotra and Noa Yoon
Podcasts and their uses.
A different way to engage with stories or information rather than reading or watching, is through podcasts. It is suggested that podcasts provide many of the benefits of reading books including vocabulary building and exposing children to new ideas. Common Sense Media does warn of the high exposure to advertisement as many podcasts are free. There are also issues with age level appropriateness which parents need to remain mindful.
The links below have some suggested podcasts for children. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/20-best-podcasts-for-kids
"How to Take Back Control" Technology Workshop
Please click on the picture to register
Glenealy School Sports Day 2018 (Save the Date!)
When: Friday 30th November
Timings for Parents: Year 3-6 will activities will begin at 10:00 am
Years 1-2 will begin at 11:00 am
Where: Kowloon Cricket Club, 10 Cox’s Road, Jordan, Kowloon
Transportation: All children will travel by bus to the venue from school
As you will have noticed in the Dates for your Diary section of the Newsletter, Friday 30th November is our annual Sports Day. This event gives our students the opportunity to display their athletic abilities through enjoyable activities, completing challenges cooperatively with friends and competing as individuals with their peers. A strong focus will be placed on how students measure their own success internally, whether that be achieving a specific goal, being a good teammate or reflecting on their performance for setting future targets.
The event will have a festival atmosphere and parents are encouraged to join us. We expect all of the activities to be completed by approximately 1:00 pm, followed by some presentations which normally last until approx 1.30 pm. All children are expected to stay until the end of the event. You may take your child home directly after the closure of the Sports Day. A bus will be returning to school for those students who are unable to return home with their parents. More information will be shared closer to the date. We look forward to seeing you there.
Warm regards,
Andy (PE Teacher)
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 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 the next academic year.
Extra Curricular Activities Term 1 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
- Creative Dance
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
- CENTER STAGE STUDIOS (Drama)
Imogen Taylor - 5236 7960
admin@centrestagestudioshk.com
- 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)
- ACTIVE KIDS (Stormy Chefs)
Elsie - 3480 4199
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 (Sanskrit)
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