Dear Parents

We had a really successful week with our students being back full days for the first time in over 12 months. The sound and energy we felt at lunch break was exciting and refreshing. Despite the warm weather, the pitch was abuzz with play and games. Our staff are running inter-house sport competitions, and I witnessed some very competitive ultimate Frisbee games on the pitch yesterday. Please encourage students to bring a water bottle that they can refill, and a hat and sunscreen, if they plan to be playing outside.

Our Year 13 Graduation Ceremonies were held across four nights this week, with students from each house taking it in turns to celebrate this rite of passage. Due to social distancing requirements, we sought to organise a very personal experience with students and parents being guided through three events on the night, that culminated in a formal presentation ceremony where students received their graduation certificate dressed in formal academic gowns and mortar board academic cap. 

A student asked me why it is called a mortar board. To be honest, I had to look it up. As you may be aware, the term mortar board describes the cap's resemblance to a mason's square board for carrying mortar. Obvious, really!

Today was also an exciting day at KGV, as we welcomed over 300, Year 6 students transitioning into Year 7 this August. We also welcomed 40 new students across Years 8 to 12 who will also join us this coming academic year. The day served as an opportunity to get to know our students, enable them to get a feel for the school, and to meet our staff and their new peers. The day represents an important part of our induction process. We are working hard to ensure that we focus on our school vision, where ‘We create a ‘school for one’; a place where each student feels that the school was created just for them. Through a lived experience, we all feel a deep sense of belonging, identity, and purpose.’ Investing time to get to know our students and for them to start the process to connect and feel a sense of belonging to our school, serves to underpin their learning progress and success.

A reminder for the need for students to bring a packed lunch each day. In some good news, Sodexo will begin selling a limited amount of food from Tuesday 1 June. Pizzas, rice bowls and coffee shop snacks will be available at lunch time. 

Thank you for your ongoing support. I hope you enjoy some time off over the weekend.

Kind Regards

Mark Blackshaw

Principal

It has been wonderful to see students playing and relaxing together during lunchbreak over the last week. Year 10 are also in the middle of a number of assessments. Two of the three Sciences were completed this week and over the next two weeks they have the last science subject, Maths and begin guided work on an English assessment in class.

Please check in on your child to help them be organised and clear on what needs to be done and to get enough sleep, exercise and relaxation.

Some students had their last exam this week and are now getting a well earned break. For many, the next two weeks have exams for Economics and Chinese and European languages.

Our post-exam activities begin on Thursday, 10 June and contain a variety of experiences to prepare students for Year 12 study and allow them to see the year out with their friends. The full calendar of activities is here. 

Teachers are now working on moderating and verifying the Teacher assessed grades based on student evidence. Information about this process is avaliable here. 

Congratulations to all our Year 13 students who graduated this week. What a lovely celebratory week we have had!

It was so important for our school community to have our parents here to share in this experience, physically, in school.

Just before and during the examination session, ESF provided all Year 13 students with access to Studiosity to help prepare for the examinations. We would be grateful if you could complete a very short survey to help us evaluate how effective Studiosity was for your son/daughter. The link can be found below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8KmROUojeEJHud2y3fCBA_dDObgmd5El4XpP4wzyyhVfQ3w/viewform?usp=sf_link

Wishing you a great weekend.

It has been wonderful to have our Year 12 students back in school with us for full days. I would like to thank all of our Year 12 student leaders for their help and invaluable support with our new students who visited KGV today.

A reminder that the schedule for Year 12 assessments being held in the hall, week beginning Monday 7 June is shared below.

Term 3 Assessments w/b 7 June

We would like to remind all of our Year 12 students to reach out to your subject teachers (or any of our Year 12 team) if you have any further queries over the weeks ahead.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week the school has definitely come alive with the sound of students having fun, playing games and enjoying lunch back on the KGV campus. After a wet start to the week, the students enjoyed sunny lunch breaks around the site. Yesterday our KGV Ultimate Frisbee House Competition started and there will be more of these events planned over the next few weeks.

A reminder to students to bring a packed lunch, although Sodexo will begin selling from Tuesday, 1 June. Pizzas, rice bowls and coffee shop snacks will be available at lunch time. 

We finished the week strong today by welcoming over 400, new students to our school. Year 6 students came to spend the morning with us where they met their tutor, took part in orientation activities and worked in teams. We also met students joining us next term in Years 8 to 12. Our Year 7 Student Transition Leaders did an amazing job in making them feel welcome and shining in their leadership roles. Well done to you all.

Our Year 7 students also spent tutor time today with their new Year 8/9 tutor. Please spend time with your child today talking to them about this experience. More details to follow about how you can meet the new tutor at the start of next academic year.

Don't forget that Monday is our early finish, with students leaving school at 1 p.m. From Tuesday to Friday we are in school for the full day.

Have a great weekend.
 

The Year 7 Team

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week the school has definitely come alive with the sound of students having fun, playing games and enjoying lunch back on the KGV campus. After a wet start to the week, the students enjoyed sunny lunch breaks around the site. Yesterday our KGV Ultimate Frisbee House Competition started and there will be more of these events planned over the next few weeks.

A reminder to students to bring a packed lunch, although Sodexo will begin selling from Tuesday, 1 June. Pizzas, rice bowls and coffee shop snacks will be available at lunch time. 

We finished the week strong today by welcoming over 400, new students to our school. Year 6 students came to spend the morning with us where they met their tutor, took part in orientation activities and worked in teams. We also met students joining us next term in Years 8 to 12. We had an amazing group of Year 8 Buddies who did an outstanding  job in making these students feel welcome and shining in their leadership roles. Well done to you all.

Our Year 8 students also spent tutor time today, meeting with their new Year 8/9 tutor (where tutors were leaving) and also introducing themselves to their new Year 8 peers. Please spend time with your child today talking to them about this experience. More details to follow about how you can meet the new tutor at the start of next academic year.

Don't forget that Monday is our early finish, with students leaving school at 1 pm. From Tuesday to Friday we are in school for the full day.

Have a great weekend.

The Year 8 Team.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week the school has definitely come alive with the sound of students having fun, playing games and enjoying lunch back on the KGV campus. After a wet start to the week, the students enjoyed sunny lunch breaks around the site. Yesterday our KGV Ultimate Frisbee House Competition started and there will be more of these events planned over the next few weeks.

A reminder to students to bring a packed lunch, although Sodexo will begin selling from Tuesday, 1 June. Pizzas, rice bowls and coffee shop snacks will be available at lunch time. 

We finished the week strong today by welcoming over 400, new students to our school. Year 6 students came to spend the morning with us where they met their tutor, took part in orientation activities and worked in teams. We also met students joining us next term in Years 8 to 12. Our Year 7 Student Transition Leaders did an amazing job in making them feel welcome and shining in their leadership roles. Well done to you all.

Our Year 9 students also spent tutor time today with their new Year 10/11 tutor. Please spend time with your child today talking to them about this experience. More details to follow about how you can meet the new tutor at the start of next academic year.

Don't forget that Monday is our early finish, with students leaving school at 1 pm. From Tuesday to Friday we are in school for the full day.

Community Project update: It was great to see some students following through on their action this week. We have had plenty of advocacy campaigns, students selling sustainable masks and some groups managing to engage directly with HK NGO’s. Please also look out for a few installations that are showcasing students' actions in the LRC. Over the next week students will be gathering together their evidence such that on 7 June, the students can begin to prepare for the final part of the project.

It is important that students keep evidence of their action so we would like to hear from more groups about what they have been doing. Students are encouraged to post on the Google Classroom:

• A photo of ACTION happening (could be a screen shot or other)

• A short explanation of the ACTION taking place.

Have a great weekend.

The Year 9 Team

31 May IGCSE Art Exhibition

7 June Year 12 Assessment Week

Our PTSA shop has been serving our parents and students with uniform and stationery supplies since the conception of the PTSA.  We thank our parents and students for their ongoing support. However, things are changing in terms of our operations. 

Due to EDB requirements, all PTSA across ESF schools will be moving the selling of school uniforms to an ESF central procurement process, a centralised online platform where parents can purchase uniforms. Presently we are working on a transition to the new online shop, where parents deal directly with the supplier and the PTSA no longer sells uniforms. The new platform will be in service from 19 July 2021 onwards.  

The PTSA shop at KGV will be in service till 30 June 2021, Monday to Friday, 8am-3:45pm. We encourage our parents to seek to purchase uniform items before then, and to take advantage of the personalised shop experience, direct pickup and multiple payment options.  Once our stocks run out, parents will need to purchase the equivalent version of our uniform, from the new website and supplier.  Please note, we have kept the uniform range as close to the present one as possible. Please be reassured that students can continue to wear all uniform items (current and new version) into the future.

Y11 students - all students are expected to wear senior uniform in Y12 and Y13.  All Y11 students are requested to purchase their senior uniform from the PTSA shop before 30 June. 

Exchanges - all exchanges must be done before 30 June 2021, provided sizes are available. 

Thank you for your continued support, and we encourage you to visit us before 30 June and take advantage of our personalised shop experience.

We are committed to support our parents through their journey at KGV, therefore have created several opportunities for you to engage with the school.  ‘Feedback Friday‘ is one such opportunity for you to engage in a personalized, small group session on a Friday morning, to chat with the Principal, Mark Blackshaw on various topics or areas you would like to discuss.

Sessions will run from 8:30 am - 9:30 am, and is limited to 15 parents.

Our upcoming session will be on,  Friday 4 June 2021.

We will conduct these sessions online.  Once you sign up for a session/s, a link will be sent to you closer to the time of the meeting.

If you would like to attend this or other sessions this term, please sign up on the form. 

https://forms.gle/hw5DF8p6K21v239i7

For enquires contact Kiran at ptsa@kgv.edu.hk

LION Yearbook is BACK!!! This school year has not been what anyone had expected it to be, however the yearbook team has tried their best to preserve the quality of the yearbook. Due to the cancellation of several activities and beloved events, constructing this year's yearbook has been extremely difficult. The yearbook team has worked tirelessly to ensure that the standards of the yearbook remain high. The yearbook team has made sure that the freshly constructed content continues to stay interesting.

You can order the yearbook using this link: https://forms.gle/WMD3nEvmDmZdSrLi7

deadline for ordering has been extended to 4 June. Also, prices have not been confirmed as they are dependent on the number of orders we receive. We expect the yearbooks to be delivered sometime in late July or August. We will be in touch regarding this!

Payment
1. Instructions and payment information are included in the order form.
2. Spare copies of the yearbook are NOT printed. Only ordered and confirmed PAID invoices will be printed.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anshu (sharma12@kgv.hk) or Yeesha (20bahrunaniyy2@kgv.hk), our Business Team Student Junior Leaders.

Thanks for ordering!!
~ Yearbook Team

Sodexo service

We are pleased to inform you that our catering provider Sodexo, has resumed a catering service for our students from 1 June and will continue till 30 June 2021, albeit in a limited capacity. Due to Covid restrictions, and the need to closely supervise eating, food is only served at lunchtime. Eating areas are designated and teachers assigned to ensure social distancing and hygiene measures are closely followed. Please note all hot meals will be served prepacked in disposable packaging as required by the guidelines.

Sodexo will be providing beverages and lunch at three of their outlets. All transactions will be with Octopus payment - Please ensure your child has enough value added to their card before coming to school.

The service will be as follows: Open Monday- Friday :

• Leo’s café – serving beverages and meals, 7:30am-3pm (lunch available at 1:00-2:15pm)
• Bowl – break time 10:40- 11:00am (drinks only) and lunchtime 1:00-2:15pm
• Hut – serving lunch only, 1pm-2:15pm

The Main canteen will remain closed until Government restrictions are lifted. A menu for next week is attached for your reference.

Alec Reeve Trophy
Last Friday was the Alec Reeve memorial cricket match, KGV students against a select KGV alumni side at Kowloon Cricket Club. The game is played each year in honour of ex-KGV principal Alec Reeve, who is fondly remembered by those who attended KGV during his time, particularly for his contribution to cricket at school. Alec’s son Dermot attended KGV and went on to captain Warwickshire and England.

This year’s game had been delayed from the usual September date, but was supported as enthusiastically as in previous years, the alumni fielding a strong side of experience and youth, and captained by ex-Hong Kong player Sunny Bhimsaria, whilst KGV lined up a young side bursting with enthusiasm led by newly appointed captain Ryan Gilkison. Sunny won the toss and chose wisely to bat in the 34 degree heat. Anik and Jainam strode to the crease, smiling about former glories from their student days, but were straightaway on the back foot due to the sharp bowling duo of George and Ryan, Jainam reaching for his helmet to prevent a second broken nose! Anik soon got his eye in though to retire on 25. Jainam hit some sweetly timed pulls, before being caught for 18 to give George his first wicket for KGV, which was followed by a short stay from Shiroy, then another strong partnership for the alumni from Amrit (25) and Akash (24). Young Arham was then rewarded for accurate bowling with a couple of wickets, which was followed by a superb run out of Paul by capt Ryan, but then the latter overs saw some lethal swipes from Tim to take the alumni to a dominating 194 off 24.2 overs. Top score for the alumni was Tim with 34 not out, and best bowling for KGV was from Ryan with 1-24, George with 2-36, and young Arham with 3-33.

KGV knew 195 was a tough target off the 25 overs, but started steadily, losing the early wicket of Brian, but Samad then smoked 3 boundaries in quick succession, and with Ashwath looking steady at the other end, the team was feeling positive. The tables turned with an unfortunate mix up between the batsmen leading to a run out of Samad, and the scoring slowed down in the subsequent overs due to some accurate bowling of Gaurav, and Paul in particular who picked up the wicket of Ashwath on his way to impressive figures of 1-2 off 4 overs. George and Arham later enjoyed a flurry of runs, with George retiring on 25, but by then the scoring rate was insurmountable and KGV were limited to 112-7 off 25 overs, leading to an alumni victory of 83 runs. George had the best score for KGV with 25 not out, whilst the best bowling figures for the alumni were Gaurav with 1-17 off 4 overs, Rahil with 1-10 off 3, and Paul with 1-2 off 4.

After much discussion and interpretation of the scorebook after the game, it was decided to award the Bharat bowling award to Arham Sheth for his 3 wickets for 33 runs off 5 overs. Arham is only in Year 8 and has a promising cricket future ahead of him at KGV!

Many thanks to all who took part and particularly to Sunny for his leadership in this event, as well as to the KCC cricket committee who organize this fixture each year. It is great to renew friendships with our ex-students, who are a great role model for our current youth. We hope the fixture will continue for many years to come.

Clive Duddy

(KGV coach)

For next week's menu, please view it in the attachment.

Please charge up your Octopus Cards with credit before coming to school.

2021 Mandarin Debate Competition Winner

The KGV team won the Mandarin Debate Competition against Singapore International School Hong Kong 0:3 KGV on May 15, 2021.

Kayla Yeung in Year 10 received the Best Debater Award.

Elena Lee in Year 12 also won the Best Debater Award at an earlier competition.

Charlotte Yeung

Through this debate and the preparation process ,I realized the importance of communication and cooperation. The content also sparked my interest in critical thinking through different perspectives. I am especially awed by this new learnt trick of fitting in different scenarios to prove my points. Thank you Ms Yang, Coach Zoe and my teammates for aiding me through it all!

參加這次比賽令我明白到溝通和協作的重要性。比賽過程令我對批判思考更感興趣，更願意嘗試以不同角度看事物，更懂得以不同情境例子加強論點的說服力。 感謝楊老師，Zoe 教練和同學們！！

Nicole Tang

The 3-week preparation with my teammates was hectic, but the results and experience proved its worth. During the final match, excitement, panicked scribbling and laughter filled the room. After all, our improvements are all that it matters. From logical thinking to debate techniques, writing skills to teamwork, our abilities were polished through this experience. At last, I want to especially thank the year 12s who participated in our discussions despite their tight IB schedule, coach Zoe, and Ms. Yang!

這三週以來辯論隊員們夜以繼日的準備，終於在比賽當天風風火火的交鋒裡顯示出來，在談笑中以滿意的結果圓滿結束。當中收穫最大的無非是每個人的進步，不管是邏輯思維、辯論技巧，還是文筆、團隊合作，我們都通過辯論得到了有質的提升。最後要特別感謝在考試中抽空出來的十二年級的學姐學長，Zoe教練，和楊老師！

Antony Wang

After the experiences of being chairman in this debate competition, I discovered the significance of teamwork and the ability to adapt myself into different situations in order to contradict. I can see everyone’s effort in this competition and I believe we got what we deserved. Thanks to everyone that is involved, including the students, Ms. Yang and coach Zoe.

这次是我第一次参加辩论比赛，我从这里了解了辩论的形式等。通过帮我们正式上场的同学做准备，我不但看到了他们的努力，而且自己也学会了如何想论点和做反驳。我觉得这次比赛我们都付出了很多，并且得到了我们的结果。最后，谢谢所有同学，Zoe教练和杨老师的付出！

Summer Guo

The ESF Chinese Debate Competition has certainly been fruitful. During the experience I developed my research, logical reasoning skills and improved my oral presentation techniques. I also learnt the importance of strong teamwork, like how each one of us knew which areas we were responsible for so collaborating on script writing and rebuttal brainstorming was a lot easier. I am very fortunate to have worked with amazing teammates who were passionate about debating and dedicated to the competition. In addition, I would like to thank coach Zoe, Ms. Yang and our year 12 seniors who helped us out!

2021英基中文辩论赛是我参加的第一场辩论比赛，因此对我具有特别意义。在这个过程中我发展了我的研究，逻辑推理能力并增强了我的中文表达技巧。同时我也认识到了团队合作的重要性。因为我们队员都清楚自己负责的部分，在写稿子和准备反驳方面的合作上都容易许多。我十分幸运能够认识三位优秀的队友！同时，我想要感谢Zoe教练，杨老师以及12年纪的师姐师哥们给我们的支持和帮助！

Kayla Yeung

I am appreciated having the opportunity to participate in this debate competition. It rendered me a chance to improve my critical thinking and the ability of improvising. It gave me a chance to learn more knowledge and gain friendships. It also provided me with a chance to hone courage and maintain confidence. I have not only experienced the challenges and joy in debate, but I also have learnt the importance of teamwork. Thanks to coach Zoe, Ms Yang, year 12s and all the teammates who participated in this competition!

每一次的辩论都给予我机会从中提升自己的逻辑思维、即兴应变；每一次的辩论都能让我从中汲取新知、收获友谊；每一次的辩论都能让我从中磨练勇气、保持自信。这一次的辩论，不仅仅让我丰富了我的辩论经验，更让我感受到了思与辩的乐趣，领悟到了合作与组织的重要性。非常感谢Zoe教练、杨老师、12年级的学长学姐以及参与这次比赛的所有同学！