Principal's Message

Dear KGV Families,

As we reach the end of the second term, it provides the opportunity for each of our students to reflect on their successes so far. As they strive to ‘Be Their Own Remarkable’ it is important for them to reflect on how they have developed academically, how they are engaging with activities beyond the taught curriculum, and how they live the KGV values of honesty, courage and empathy. It is also important to reflect and consider areas of potential growth,  as they naturally think about what their ‘even better if…’ might include.

Alongside these reflections, I am sure our students will welcome the opportunity to relax and refresh with their families and friends ahead of the third term. I also hope our Y11 and Y13 students maintain their healthy habits and balance their revision with some time to rest, as well as ensuring an appropriate amount of sleep.

A quick reminder that term 3 starts on Tuesday 22nd April, with students moving to summer uniform. This means they will not need to wear a school tie next term. I wish you all a wonderful Spring Break.

Best regards,

Mark Poulsum

Year 12 & 13 Message

On behalf of the Year 12 & 13 team, I would like to wish all of our senior students a restful and peaceful Spring vacation. We hope our Year 13 students build in times of rest and relaxation during the next few weeks as we head towards final examinations and completion of outstanding BTEC units.

Wishing everyone a great holiday.

Year 7 Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The holidays are here!

Year 7 students have had a very encouraging term, but they are now most certainly ready for a bit of a break. With two terms complete and only one remaining, this is a good time for them to stop, reflect and focus on what they need to do to be successful next term. Can you find time over the next couple of weeks to sit with them as they look back on term 2, celebrate their own personal successes and pinpoint areas for development in term 3.

Thank you to those parents who have signed up to join our parent group to look at smartphone use at KGV. There is still time to join us and we would love to have more of you engaged in the conversations. Please use the link in last week's newsletter to sign-up for the group. In the meantime, please consider reading through this resource which is one of many useful articles which can be found on the Smart phone free children website.

Wishing you and your families a great Spring Break and we look forward to seeing the students again on Tuesday 22nd April.

Happy Holidays.
The Year 7 Team

Year 11 Message

The Year 11 formal was a wonderful event on Monday, organised and run by students with live bands and a DJ.

Following the Spring break, students will return for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with study leave starting at 3.20pm on Thursday April 24th.

Students who have First Language Chinese or Foreign Language Chinese have an exam on Friday 25th April, and can choose to revise from home on Thursday 24th. If you and your child decide to do this, please complete the absence notification through the app as usual stating they are studying from home.

Some students will have an Art practical exam on Wednesday 23rd as well

The Year 11 final exam timetable is available here.

Students have been issued individual printed timetables. Please encourage them to enter the times and dates for each exam in their calendar to get as organised as possible.
An overview is still available here so you can see at a glance the distribution of exams.

All exam rules and regulations are accessible here

Year 10 Message

Year 10 students finished the term strongly showing responsible thoughtful behaviour this week.

Over the break we hope they get some rest, spend time with family and do only a little revision of the learning from this term.

We look forward to seeing them rested and ready for a productive term 3 on Tuesday 22nd April.

Year 8 and Year 9

Dear Parents,

As we approach the holidays, there's a palpable sense of excitement in the air at KGV. This season is not just about Easter eggs and treats, it is also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our students and the values that bind our community together.

Today was a momentous occasion for our Year 13 students as they marked their last day with an inspiring honour walk. It was a heartfelt event where our younger students had the chance to witness their peers stepping confidently into the future. This ceremony beautifully highlighted the courage and perseverance we cherish at KGV, reminding us all of the strength it takes to embrace new beginnings.

Now is the perfect time for students to reflect on their goals and aspirations—whether in academics, sports, or personal interests. We encourage them to think about what they wish to accomplish in the coming months and years, recognising that each day offers new opportunities for growth.

Today’s assembly, led by Mr. Trantor, was another highlight, where we celebrated the core values of our community: empathy, honesty, and courage. The assembly encouraged our students to reflect on the importance of community, supporting one another, and being true to themselves. We hope these conversations continue at home, reinforcing the significance of these values in their daily lives.

Wishing you and your families a joyful and meaningful holiday!

Dear Parents,

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for our KGV 130th Anniversary Gala Dinner!

If you haven’t signed up yet, our PTSA committee warmly invites you to join us for this wonderful celebration.

Please take a moment to check out the poster and sign up using the link below. We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with all of you!

Sign Up Here

See you there!

On behalf of KGV PTSA committee

The Smartphone Free Children website is an excellent resource for parents navigating the dilemma of when or if to give their child a smart phone. This website describes how delaying the age you give your child a smart phone could actually become a 'superpower' for them.

1. You're giving them more time

The average 12-15 year-old in the UK now spends 35 hours a week on their smartphone, according to a 2025 Uni of Birmingham study. If they're smartphone-free, they have equivalent to a full time job of extra time to play, chat, mess about and explore the world IRL.

2 You're giving them more freedom

Kids without smartphones aren't influenced by toxic social media pressures or digital validation. They have space to explore who they really are, free from the constant stress of online likes and status.

3. You're giving them real social skills

Without a smartphone acting as a middleman, kids focus on socialising IRL. Relationships are built on real human connection, and strengthening these essential life skills enables them to forge deeper friendships.

4. You're giving them better mental health

Teens who are addicted to their smartphones are 2x as likely to have anxiety and 3x as likely to have depression, according to a study by Kings College London. The less time they spend online and the more time they spend with friends and family in the real world, the better their overall wellbeing.

5. You're giving them skills to thrive in a digital future

Being tech-savvy isn't about getting good at TikTok - it's about knowing how to use technology productively. The less time spent passively scrolling, the more time they have to develp the critical thinking, focus, and creative problem solving that will set them up for success in an AI-fuelled future.

6. You're giving them a better education

Without the constant distraction of a smartphone, kids can fully engage in learning and schoolwork. They can develop their interests free from addictive algorithms, which results in better concentration and grades.

7. You're giving them better sleep

Teenagers need 8-10 hours per night to support their physical and mental development. Kids without smartphones get longer and deeper sleep which results in improved brain function and emotional regulation.

Open for Orders!!

The Lion KGV Yearbook 2024-25 is open for orders until 22 April 2025. This year's price is $145/copy; please order here! Once you have filled in the form, an invoice will be sent to your Parent's App on 17 April 2025 for payment (thereafter order processing time is 2 working days); payment deadline is 30 April 2025.

We will announce at the end of May when the books will be available for pick-up.

If you have payment questions, please email Ms Tai (emily.tai@kgv.edu.hk). For other questions, please email Ms Chan (elaine.chan@kgv.edu.hk).

Thank you for your support!

RUGBY

C Grade Boys

The C Grade boys found themselves in a tough pool against WIS and IS. After a closely fought draw against WIS, the boys had a loss to IS. This pout the team into the bowl semi finals. They came up against a good SIS team in the semi final and despite putting in a great effort, unfortunately came up short and didn’t progress to the plate final. There has been huge improvement in the team over the season and the players will look to build on this year as some move to B grade and some will get their second stint at C grade. Well done on a great season boys.

C Grade Girls

The C Grade girls team were in a pool with WIS (eventual winners) and Harrow. The girls had WIS first up and were beaten by a very good team. They were disappointed but had to bounce back quick against a good Harrow team. This match was very back and forth but a strong second half performance saw KGV win 4 tries to 3 and secure a semi final spot. They came up against CDNIS in the semi final. Despite some of the best rugby they have played all year, they couldn’t convert possession into points. CDNIS scored a couple of long range tries and the eventual score was 4 tries to 1. They then played Kellett in the plate final. It was another great game by the team against a good Kellett side. The girls were down 4-1 early in the second half but came back strongly to finish the game 4-3. A great day of rugby by a lot of new players of the sport. They have certainly improved a lot this year and it looks promising moving into next season.

Overall it was a great day of rugby with over 60 KGV students involved. All teams will be back next year looking to go better in their respective competitions. Thank you to all the coaches for your support and effort over the season.

CLIMBING

ISSFHK Climbing Finals

On Tuesday our climbing team took part in the finals for ISSFHK. Having had two mini meets and some good results at these, there was confidence in achieving some good results in the finals.

U14 boys saw Jake Wong competing. After strong performances in the mini meets, Jake had a great final competition and finished as the overall champion for U14 boys. An outstanding achievement. Well done Jake!

Edward Pinchbeck and Jaydn Leung competed in the U20 boys competition. This is tough or them considering they are a lot younger than most competitors. But they out in great effort and did themselves proud with their results. Edward claiming 15th place, and Jaydn in 30th.

In U20 girls Poppy Wong was looking to earn a podium finish after good mini meets. She climbed so well on the day but unfortunately got edged out of the podium to finish in 4th place. A truly outstanding result. The other two climbers Katie Lee and Rice Koo climbed well and once again were competing against much more seasoned climbers. They will be in a much stronger position next year to climb up the rankings.

Well done to all the climbers for their efforts and to Mr Bridle and Ms Tong for their support over the season.

The KGV Careers Office coordinates all our student references and grade summaries, including potential exit & summer programmes.

To protect our students’ privacy, parental permission is required before KGV can release any student information to external parties. KGV will only fulfil requests once we have received this permission.

To request a school reference or grade summary, parents are kindly asked to complete this form.

Students should not use their KGV account to log in to this form. This is to ensure that parental consent is obtained before we release any student information.

Students should reach out to teachers to invite them to be recommenders. It is beneficial for students to provide teachers with information about the programme for which they are applying, as this helps in preparing meaningful recommendations.  Please be mindful of additional workloads on teachers when making these requests.

Typical lead time for teachers to prepare references is four working weeks.

School references for higher education applications are managed in a separate process.

If students are pursuing external extension programmes outside of KGV, they should read and follow the information on this website: https://sites.google.com/kgv.hk/kgv-extension-opportunities .

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

Careers & Guidance

Year 13

Link of the week: College Advisor – How to Make Your Final College Decision

Today is the last school day for our Y13 students before exam leave.  Our best wishes to all students with their exam preparation and BTEC coursework completion.

Applications & Decisions. Students should continue to keep their H.E. Counsellors informed about their applications and regularly check Google Classroom for updates and resources related to higher education.

Year 13 Exit Preparation – Parent: 1pm on Tuesday, 29 Apr, via Zoom. to go through the Y13 exit procedures, including how we support our students, final school transcript arrangements, student actions for H.E. and post-result actions. Zoom link will be emailed to all Y13 parents by 28 Apr morning.

IBO Result Service. The H.E. Team spoke to all students doing IBDP or courses on getting this done. Students should also check the exam pack sent by our Exam Office who looks after all matters related to IBO Result Service. This service allows IBO to send students’ final IB exam results directly to specified universities right after result release. This is crucial to confirm offers.

Year 12
Link of the week: UCAS – Advice for Parents, Guardians & Carers

Google Classrooms for Y12s, set up to share H.E.-related information.

The Y12 1-1 H.E. meetings. All appointments are now scheduled. Students should refer to the schedules posted on Google Classroom for their appointments.

Y12 H.E. Presentation Series. The HE Team started presenting to Y12 students on various topics related to higher education. Topics covered so far: Personal Statement – Part A&B, H.E. Refresher+Unifrog , Advanced Unifrog, and UK Applications.  Coming up in Term 3: HK Applications and Oxbridge before end of April.

Our KGV Careers Calendar lists known H.E. events.

KGV is not responsible for the quality of any external events. All information is subject to change by event organisers.

U.K.
16 Apr: Falmouth University Online Event: Budgeting for International Students Advice Session 2025
17 Apr: Falmouth University Online Event: Student Visa Information Session
2 May: University of Bath: Supporting your child: Accommodation & student support panel 2025 entry
29 May: University of Bath: Supporting your child’s UCAS application for courses starting in 2026

U.S.A.
23 Apr: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Webinar: Designing a Next-Generation Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle
23 Apr: Unlocking Holistic Admission: A Case Study Program with US Liberal Arts Colleges (at CDNIS HK)

Australia
6 May: University of Melbourne – Trinity College Webinar

Japan
12 Apr: Ritsumeikan University Webinar: Why choose RU + What English-medium undergraduate programs are offered

The Netherlands
8 Apr: Dutch University College Webinar

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

ESF Explore - Term 3

22 April to 27 June, 2025

Make the most of the final term of this academic year and enrich your knowledge! ESF Explore provides an inspiring and enjoyable learning environment for students of all ages. We focus on developing a range of skills while fostering confidence in language proficiency. Our courses cover a variety of areas, including playgroup, languages, sports, and STEM, ensuring a solid foundation for students' holistic development. Enrol now!

Check out the Term 3 programme listing HERE

Kowloon district programme listing HERE