Dear Parents

I hope you are all well. We had a good first week back at KGV, with students and staff returning in a positive mindset after the two week break. However, as I am sure you are aware, the recent Government update regarding the ongoing COVID-19 situation, has reinforced our focus on doing all we can to keep ESF KGV open, maximise the safety of staff and students, and to ensure the continuity of learning. We have great confidence that as a school and community, we can continue to work together to secure these outcomes, and do the best we can for our remarkable students.

I want to let you know about how the new restrictions will affect our school operations at KGV at all ESF schools, for the period of Friday 7 January up until the Chinese New Year break.

• We will be further reminding students and staff of the importance of our social distancing, mask wearing and personal hygiene measures.

• In the immediate period ahead, we will only be offering a select number of teacher-run and KGV located (CAS) activities. This will depend on the nature of the activity, and the management of related risk factors. In all decisions, the health and safety of students and staff will be the priority, and we will be evaluating our activities on a regular basis. Students and Parents can see whether their activity is running or postponed via the ESF App diary and the student summary page on Lionel. If you have any specific enquiries, please contact the CAS Team, either Mr Beard (dean.beard@kgv.edu.hk) or Ms Ip (scarlet.ip@kgv.edu.hk).

• ESL and externally staffed extra-curricular activities will be postponed.

• All excursions will be cancelled or postponed. In addition, it will unfortunately not be possible to have any outside people or groups onsite working with our students. 

• During this period, it will only be possible for parents to come onsite to pick up and drop off students. There will be no face to face meetings taking place. We will continue to meet with parents and others via Zoom or Google Meet, as appropriate

• The PTSA shop will remain open, however, only KGV students will be able to access the shop. Parents can still place online orders, and students will be able to visit the shop for pick ups. 

• We are still planning to proceed as normal with our Year 11 and 13 Mock exams, which start for our Year 13 students this Monday.

As you will also be aware, many in our community are impacted by the issuing of Compulsory Testing Notices (CTN). We are required to record evidence of a CTN negative test result, before a student or staff member can return to school. Please let the school know (email betty.ko@kgv.edu.hk) if your child is issued with a single or multiple CTN, and we will send you an email with information so that we can get students back to school as soon as possible.

It is our hope that these measures can maintain face to face learning for our students. As the situation can change rapidly, we of course are also prepared for all future possibilities (including half day and online options) and to ensure that learning can continue for our students.  

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your ongoing support. I know our staff are as determined as ever to ensure that our students continue to feel known, heard and safe, and are learning to their potential. 

Kind Regards

Mark Blackshaw

Principal, KGV School

On Tuesday this week we spent the day working on study skills to support students as they learn, revise and prepare for their GCSE courses. Key themes were

• ensuring adequate sleep, hydration and mindfulness to be their best selves.
• being organised, setting goals and learning how to beat procrastination. 
• learning how to best take notes and how to revise.

A major theme was using syllabus statements to structure their revision. This is an area where parents can help by asking their child which syllabus statement they are working on. All syllabus statements are available here. A good method for editing and annotating the syllabus pdf files is here.

I spoke to Year 10 students today about the COVID "Circuit breaker" period we are entering. We have reiterated the social distancing measures at school and reminded students to be prepared in case we are required to close the school on short notice. This means taking their laptop, charger and any important textbooks home and ensuring they have a study space set up.

We are planning to run the Year 11 mocks as normal, despite the current COVID restrictions. Students begin their study leave next week. Thursday and Friday 13 January and 14 January are days set aside for Media, Art and Music coursework. If students do not take these subjects, they can choose to study at home or to study at school where they can access their teachers during timetabled periods. From Monday 17 January through to Friday 28 January, students only need to attend school for their mock exams but may study at school at any time. The mock exam timetable is available here. Students should wear full uniform when coming to school.

I spoke to Year 11 students today about the COVID "Circuit breaker" period we are entering. We have reiterated the social distancing measures at school and reminded students to be prepared in case we are required to close the school on short notice. This means taking their laptop, charger and any important textbooks home and ensuring they have a study space set up.

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Happy New Year to you and your families.

It was lovely to see all of our Year 7 students on Monday, looking relaxed and excited about the term ahead. 

Wednesday’s news about the latest COVID measures have, however, added a level of uncertainty to how the term will pan out. We have spent time over the past two days working with our students to ensure they are prepared should school move to either day or online learning. We have also reinforced and strengthened further the on-site health and safety measures. KGV will continue to update you should the situation change. We thank you in advance for your support and understanding as we respond to any requests from CHP and EDB.

In the meantime, we are asking Year 7 students to make sure their laptops are in full working order (camera/ microphone working etc) and to bring to school a set of earphones, should they need to access teachers online. We are also enforcing the need to take home from school all necessary equipment and to build up at home, a bank of online equipment (e.g. paper, pencils, scissors etc) which teachers could call upon should online lessons begin. We are hopeful that face-to-face learning will continue and this information is to ensure that we are ready if circumstances change.

We are looking forward to seeing many of you online on Thursday 13 January, as together we discuss MYP grading systems. With Semester One reports due out in a couple of weeks, we wanted to ensure parents had a clear understanding of how to interpret MYP levels. Mr Turner has also asked for interested parents to sign up to participate in a parent workshop, where we will be looking to enhance our reporting systems. Thank you to those of you who have already said you would like to be part of this group.

Please take care of each other and have a lovely weekend.

The Year 7 Team

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Happy New Year to you and your families.

It was lovely to see all of our Year 8 & 9 students on Monday, looking relaxed and excited about the term ahead. 

Wednesday’s news about the latest COVID measures have, however, added a level of uncertainty to how the term will pan out. We have spent time over the past two days working with our students to ensure they are prepared should school move to either day or online learning. We have also reinforced and strengthened further the on-site health and safety measures. KGV will continue to update you should the situation change. We thank you in advance for your support and understanding as we respond to any requests from CHP and EDB.

In the meantime, we are asking Year 8 & 9 students to make sure their laptops are in full working order (camera/ microphone working etc) and to bring to school a set of earphones, should they need to access teachers online. We are also enforcing the need to take home from school all necessary equipment and to build up at home, a bank of online equipment (e.g. paper, pencils, scissors etc) which teachers could call upon should online lessons begin. We are hopeful that face-to-face learning will continue and this information is to ensure that we are ready if circumstances change.

On Thursday 13 January, at 5.30pm, we have an online parent session scheduled, where we will be discussing MYP grading systems. This meeting is aimed primarily at Year 7 parents and parents of new students in Year 8 & 9. However, we would like to extend this invitation to all parents who feel they would benefit from listening to Mr Turner, MYP Coordinator interpreting MYP levels. Mr Turner has also asked for interested parents to sign up to participate in a parent workshop, where we will be looking to enhance our reporting systems. Thank you to those of you who have already said you would like to be part of this group. If you would like to attend this session please click the very simple google form to register your interest.

Please take care of each other and have a lovely weekend.

The Year 8 & 9 Team

We held an online assembly for our Year 12 students today and would like to remind all of our students of the need to wear your mask at all times when moving around the school campus.

When eating or drinking, students need to be stationary and seated and then masks need to be put on immediately after eating or drinking.

Students have been asked to be prepared in case we are required to close the school on short notice. This means taking their laptop, charger and any important textbooks home and ensuring they have a study space set up.

In the immediate period ahead, we will only be offering a select number of teacher-run and KGV located (CAS) activities. This will depend on the nature of the activity, and the management of related risk factors. In all decisions, the health and safety of students and staff will be the priority, and we will be evaluating our activities on a regular basis. Students and Parents can see whether their activity is running or postponed via the ESF App diary and the student summary page on Lionel. If you have any specific enquiries, please contact the CAS Team, either Mr Beard (dean.beard@kgv.edu.hk) or Ms Ip (scarlet.ip@kgv.edu.hk).

Wishing you a great weekend.

We would like to remind everyone that we are planning to proceed with our Mock exams, as scheduled, beginning Monday 10 January.

A reminder that students must wear full uniform during the exam period and the afternoon exam session now begins at 2pm.

If we are instructed otherwise by the Department of Education, we will inform parents and students immediately.

The Year 13 IB Mock Examination timetable is available to view on the link below.

Year 13 Mock Timetable

Wishing you a great weekend.

Hope everyone is having a good start of Term 2.

ESF University Fairs, January 2022
An email went out to all Y12 students and parents earlier this week with registration details. It is mandatory that all Y12 students sign up to at least one event, but of course we hope students will attend all countries they are considering.

Y11 and Y13 students and families who are interested to the Fair can refer to the Student Bulletin for registration details.

This year’s Fair is divided into 3 regional events with individual registration links for specific to KGV. Please do not share with anyone outside of the KGV community:

• Day 1 (13 Jan 2022) – Europe (incl. UK)
• Day 2 (20 Jan 2022) – Asia & Australia (incl. HK)
• Day 3 (27 Jan 2022) – N. America

A poster of the events is attached.

Timing of talks are still being confirmed and will be updated on the registration sites. We do understand that there can be clashes as there IS so much information available. We would suggest families to prioritise or adopt a “divide and conquer” strategy. You can always pop back to ask questions if you miss a talk that you’d like to attend.

The list of attending institutions on the registration sites are changing as many universities are yet to return to work after the holidays. We would encourage families to create an account for each event they’d like to attend, but check back to create a schedule a couple of days before the actual event day.

Parents are reminded that with the online fair, students could be having a one-to-one conversation with a university representative unsupervised. If this is of concern, please attend the event with your child, and of course a student can leave the Zoom meeting at any point they wish.

Any problems with registration, please email: support@maialearning.com

Y13 Higher Education applications
Communication between students & their H.E. Counsellors are key. This is especially so when application deadlines for many institutions are fast-approaching. Submitting an application without informing the H.E. Counsellor in advance may result in missed relevant documents to support applications. Students are reminded that they MUST inform their H.E. Counsellors of applications they are making, to ensure that supporting documents are sent in time.

School reference (non-higher education purposes)
The Careers Office coordinates all KGV student references including exit & summer schools. All requests should be directed to careers.office@kgv.edu.hk. Please allow at least 4-6 work weeks for teachers to work on school references. School reference for higher education applications are done in a separate process.

External Events
Our Careers Calendar lists many university events. Refer to the Calendar for event details and registration links. Some highlights in the coming weeks:
U.K.
- 10-12 Jan 2022: UK Unifest 2022 Week 1 (updated list of talks available on the Careers Calendar)
- 17-20 Jan 2022: UK Unifest 2022 Week 2

Europe
- 15 Jan: Bocconi (Italy) Virtual Open Day

Australia
- 20-21 Jan: University of Technology Sydney Info Days

KGV Careers Team

Mon 10 Jan Year 13 Mocks Start, Y11 Language Orals Start

Mon 17 Jan Year 11 Mocks Start, Year 13 Mocks continue

Wed 19 Jan  Year 9 Community Project starts

Mon 24 Jan Year 11s Mock continue

Fri 28 Jan MYP summaries released

Fri 28 Jan CNY Assembly, day finish, Dress Casual

Friday 14 January 2022, 10:30am

We are committed to supporting 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 online from 10:30am to 11:15am, and are limited to 15 parents.

Our upcoming session will be on Friday 14 January 2022.

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 this form.

For enquiries contact Kiran at kiran.budhrani@kgv.edu.hk

2 session online talks, 6:30-7:30pm 

Session 1 - Wed 12 Jan 2022 
Session 2 - Wed 19 Jan 2022

As parents, we want only the best for our kids. 

The time of adolescence can be especially confusing as we see our children figure out who they are, and navigate the challenges of their environment. Having been through the process with experience and maturity, it may be tempting for us to hold a firm hand and direct them to do what needs to be done for them to have a better future. 

But adolescence is also a time where children seek to establish independence, and their relationship with their parents during this time carry an important part in forming their self-concept. In our bid to help them become better, we often forget that the way we communicate with them matters—whether we stop to consider their feelings and needs before we correct them, or whether we are shaming them instead empowering them. Relationships are built on conversation, and positive conversations can go a long way in making our child stay engaged with us, to willingly cooperate, and to be genuinely considerate of others. 

Learn how you can approach conversations with your tweens and teens with less stress and more success in this 2 session workshop by Lim Kim Pong, CEO and Founder of StrengthsAsia. You'll get to understand: 

1. How you can change your talk from habitual and unconscious to purposeful, persuasive and engaging 

2. Tips on how to connect with your child using positive communication

3. The role of empathic listening in our conversation

Please register here

Enquires contact Kiran,  kiran.budhrani@kgv.edu.hk

Sodexo Service

For next week menu, please view in the attachment.

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

External Extension Opportunities

At KGV we encourage students to take part in a range of extension activities both in school and outside of school.  Throughout the year, each subject department may organise events and/or nominate students to take part in internal and external events and competitions.  We also support students who want to join external extension courses for secondary school students run by universities and other organisations.  These are great opportunities for students to extend themselves within their areas of interest and strength.  They also provide students with the opportunity to connect with other students from around Hong Kong who share a similar interest, and gives students insights into possible future university courses and career pathways.

The list below has the names and websites of extension programmes that some of our students have taken part in.  Each provider offers a wide range of courses targeting different ages and topic areas.  These courses may take place in person and/or online, and may start at various times throughout the year.  Each provider also has different entry requirements and application procedures, such as minimum scores on standardised tests, open applications, school recommendations, or school nominations.  Each provider may also charge a fee for their courses, and/or offer scholarships.

Chinese University of Hong Kong
Program for the Gifted & Talented
https://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/pgt/

City University of Hong Kong
Talents, Aspiration & Excellence
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/nurturetalent/

Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education
https://www.hkage.org.hk/en/

Hong Kong Baptist University
Center for Child Development
https://ccd.hkbu.edu.hk/en

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Center for the Development of the Gifted and Talented
https://cdgt.hkust.edu.hk/eng/

Johns Hopkins University
Center for Talented Youth
https://cty.jhu.edu/

University of Hong Kong
Academy for the Talented
https://talented.hku.hk/

We encourage KGV students who may be interested in external extension courses to review these websites, and to pay attention to the application procedures and deadlines.  If students are able to apply directly, they should do so.  If students require a reference/recommendation/nomination from the school, they should contact Miss Ellie Hitchings if they are in Year 7-9 or Mr. Krishin Hotwani if they are in Year 10-13.  Please be aware that it can take two weeks to prepare the reference, so please request this early enough before the application deadline.

Please note that KGV does not have a formal partnership with any of these organisations, and does not directly benefit from any student participation or fees paid to the organisation.  Student participation in these courses is entirely voluntary.

Miss Ellie Hitchings, RTI Coordinator for Years 7-9, ellie.hitchings@kgv.edu.hk

Mr. Krishin Hotwani, RTI Coordinator for Years 10-13, krishin.hotwani@kgv.edu.hk

Our Remarkable Stories

Bhavya (Year 7) participated in the event VOICE OF YOUNG DREAMERS 2021- Arts & Writing Festival organised by Kit Kat Events & Marketing in association with Global Influencers Publishing House. She has won the 2nd Prize for the Arts Competition in the age category of 10-13yrs.

During the competition children were asked to choose any topic that they are passionate about and express their feelings, thoughts, emotions and expressions.

Bhavya's concept behind her artwork was "Happiness and Worries" that people are facing in today's world.

Fantastic job!

Congratulations to our four students who have been identified as the best performing learners in Hong Kong in the June 2021 examination sessions. The awards reflect the talent and hard work of learners, and acknowledge the dedication and commitment of both teachers and parents.

Holly – Highest Mark in Hong Kong for Cambridge IGCSE Physical Education

Destiny - Highest Mark in Hong Kong for Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies

Cindy - Highest Mark in Hong Kong for Cambridge IGCSE First Language English (Oral Endorsement)

Kristen - Highest Mark in Hong Kong for Cambridge IGCSE Music

Well done on your fantastic achievement!