Glenealy School Newsletter
19th September 2019
Message from Chris
Dear Parents,
Another busy week has rushed passed with the children returning to school on Monday having enjoyed the Mid-Autumn festival very much.
Last week, in order to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival, the students learned the history of the festival, with Year 1 and Year 2 students making beautiful lanterns, and the Year 3 - 6 students making delicious moon cakes. The students really enjoyed these activities which focused on this traditional Chinese festival.
Our Social Emotional Learning assembly for Years 2 to 6 this week challenged children to use their skills as ‘includers’ to tackle Bullying. The school is an extremely safe place, where instances of unkindness are rare, however it is important we ensure children have the skills they need to recognise and manage situations where they may observe or experience bullying. We discussed the school’s definition of bullying - and the different identifiable types. Please ask your children to see if they can name the different types. As a school we take any unkind behaviour seriously and will do all we can to support children to restore relationships and make expected choices. The children have responded very well to the conversations about unkind behaviour and know that all members of staff are there to support them should they need it.
Regarding drop off and pick up times - we ask that parents who drive are considerate during pick up and drop off times. There is a significant risk to student safety when cars park across the pavement on Hornsey Road. Please can parents be aware of children and avoid parking on the pavements or blocking the road for long periods of time. Thank you to all the parents of children in years 5 and 6 who have already returned the form giving permission for their child to walk home from school. If you are yet complete this form and your child is in Year 5 and/or 6 please click here.
A quick reminder that the PTA will be holding their Annual General Meeting on Thursday evening next week (26th September) - all parents are invited - snacks and drinks will be provided. We look forward to seeing many of you at 5.45pm in the The Centre.
Finally, you will have received an email containing a link from school yesterday for the upcoming Three Way Conferences. This is a great opportunity for children, parents and teachers to discuss and reflect on learning. Please ensure you sign up for the available Three Way Conference times. For those parents with siblings in school, when signing up for an appointment, please remember to leave adequate time between appointments to ensure that you are not late for the next appointment. (Click here to access Gateway to sign up for your appointment)
As ever, we look forward to another week of exciting learning opportunities and wish you a fantastic end to the week. If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to contact any of the leadership team!
Best Regards,
Chris
Dates for your Diary
Friday 20th September 3:00 pm
PTA Year 6 Bake Sale Fundraiser - Playground
Thursday 26th September
PTA AGM 5:45 pm - 7:30 pm in The Centre (adults only)
Monday 30th September
ESF CPD Day- no students in school
Tuesday 1st October
National Day - public holiday
Wednesday 2nd October 3:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Three Way Conferences
Thursday 3rd October 3:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Three Way Conferences
Monday 7th - Friday 11th October
Mid Term Holiday
Friday 22nd November
PTA School Fair
Friday 29th November
Sports Day
Friday 13th December
End of Term 1 - school closes at 12:00 noon
Book Week
A mini Book Week will take place from the 16th to the 18th October 2019. This is the week straight after mid-term break. As always, this will end with a character dress-up parade. All parents are welcome to attend this event on Friday 18th October at 8.40 am in the Lower Playground.
You might want to use your mid-term break to start discussing possible character costumes with your child. This year's theme is 'upcycling'. Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials or unwanted products into new materials or products. So let's try to be creative and put a homemade, upcycled touch to our costumes.
Book week will also include book-swaps, games and activities, author visits (generously sponsored by the PTA) and lots of other exciting opportunities to celebrate reading.
Remember to find opportunities over the next few weeks to take part in the 'catch me reading' photo competition. Above are a few entries from previous years to inspire you.
Watch out for The Library Newsletter over the next couple of days which will have much more detail about our visiting authors, competitions and events.
Mr Sangster
Glenealy School Sport
School Sports training began at the end of August with a very encouraging number of students signing up for sessions. Ms. Chainrai, Mrs. Matthews, Coach Shaun and I have all been very impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment displayed by all participants.
Last Wednesday, 30 Year 5 and Year 6 netball players joined Ms. Chainrai and I at the Pre-Season Netball fixture at Wong Chuk Hang. It was a very busy afternoon, with all players getting plenty of court time. These games provided the girls who are new to the sport with a fantastic learning experience while allowing those who have played before to enjoy a game with their friends.
Follow this link for a brief overview of how School Sport is organised at Glenealy. Please note that these activities run separately to those offered by ESL and are for Year 5 and Year 6 students, with opportunities for younger students provided where appropriate. Please feel free to catch up with me or email at apattison@glenealy.edu.hk if you have any questions.
Andy Pattison
PTA News
PTA Annual General Meeting and Parents’ Drinks Evening
Start Time: Doors open at 5:45 pm, wrap up by 7:30 pm
Date: Thursday 26th September 2019
Place: The Centre at Glenealy School
Come along and join us for delicious finger food, soft drinks, beer and wine as we briefly review the past year and thank you all for your support. Please note that this is a parent/teacher only evening, so come ready to mix, mingle and enjoy the hospitality!
To help us plan the catering, please RSVP using the short Google Form here
For copies of the Agenda, the 2018-19 Report & Accounts please contact Becky on pta@glenealy.net.
Year 6 Fundraiser - BAKE SALE THIS FRIDAY
Year 6 will be kick starting the fundraising with a Bake Sale on Friday 20th September. This year our theme is ‘Carnival’ where we celebrate our happiness and joy with vibrant colours.
We are seeking to strike a balance between healthy and delightful treats with environment friendly and green alternatives. Please send $20-$30 along with your child to enjoy plenty of delicious goodies and exciting games.
Don’t forget to bring along your empty snack boxes to store your yummy treats!
From The Nurse
Please also be reminded that we are a nut free school.
Parents as Partners 2019/20
We would like to thank parents for their survey suggestions for our Parents as Partners events this year. We may add to this programme over the year, but wanted to share the initial schedule with parents at this time.
Details of timings, and registration for each workshop, will be announced closer to each event.
Teaching of Maths at Glenealy
Parent Circle
Wednesday 23rd October 2019
Assessment at Glenealy - Building Understanding for Parents
Workshop
Wednesday 12th February 2020
Inquiry at Glenealy
Parent Circle
Wednesday 4th March 2020
Social Emotional Learning at Glenealy-Building Resilience
Workshop
Wednesday 29th April 2020
Understanding the teaching of Language at Glenealy
Parent Circle
Term 3 - Date To be confirmed
Year 1 Admissions - Important information for parents
The Year 1 Central Application period for children born in 2015 has commenced on 1st September and will close on 30th September 2019. Please click here for Year 1 key dates.
TETRAPAK COLLECTION - MONDAY NEXT WEEK
KipGiving shoe drive round-up; A shooge effort!
Last Friday, the kids of Glenealy school made a shoooge-effort and brought in all their old shoes, socks and donations.
· We collected 120kg of shoes to donate to kids in Kenya!
· Because of our efforts many many children will have the chance to go to school.
· And that’s 120kg saved from landfill!
All we can say is, wow! Well done everyone and thank you for getting involved.
Next steps:
Henry and his family have been asking for quotes as to how much it will cost to send all these shoes to Kenya. The cheapest quote so far is for about $4100, shipping via HK Post.
· Last week we raised around $1300.
· We need to raise another $2800 more!
Henry (4M)
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