Dear Parents and Guardians,

There was a bit of excitement this week with the Challenge Week sign-ups. The tightening of COVID requirements from 1 October has made the process and planning a little more challenging. We hope our students gain access to an activity that they will find engaging and challenging.

It was also a pleasure to welcome all Year 7 parents into the school for the Year 7 Laptop induction evening. Having parents in and about school was hopefully a positive experience for all. Our Year 7 students seem excited to have their hands on the new laptops.

Students are also starting their CAS activities this week. We are proud of the range of activities for our students, which run before, during and after school. We have over 130 activities, and 832 KGV students have signed up for at least one activity! It is lovely to see so many students being able to make the most of these opportunities.

A reminder that to make the most of Challenge Week and CAS activities, we encourage all students to be fully vaccinated. To meet the new vaccination requirements, our students must generally have three or at least two doses and be waiting to be eligible for the third. In general, a person infected with COVID - 19 before or after any vaccination requires one less dose of a vaccine. Students under 12 need 3 Sinovac or 2 BioNTech doses. If parents have any questions regarding vaccination requirements, please email Betty Ko at betty.ko@kgv.edu.hk

We also hope that by 1 November, over 90% of our students will have recorded three or more doses. This will enable our school to remain open for full-day schooling.

We have a vacancy for a parent representative on the KGV School Council. If you are interested, please contact the school at office@kgv.edu.hk to receive a nomination form and submit the nomination by Friday, 16th of September. 

We wish all our parents, guardians, and families a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

中秋節快樂

Kind Regards,

Mark Blackshaw

Principal, KGV School

Year 10 students completed their Challenge Week sign-up on Wednesday and will be starting to look forward to these activities scheduled for the end of October. Parents will receive invoices for activities with costs very soon.

Please continue to update your child's RAT and temperature each morning on the app. We are required to check this and follow up each day, which is using a lot of our time.

We will have house assemblies next week as we seek to revive the healthy competition our house system has supported and missed over the last few years.

Year 11 students completed their Challenge Week sign-up on Tuesday and will be starting to look forward to these activities scheduled for the end of October. Parents will receive invoices for activities with costs very soon.

1:1 Tutor conversations begin next week. These are important conversations as they include everything going in for a student to understand their situation and see where acknowledgement, encouragement or assistance may be useful.

Please continue to update your child's RAT and temperature each morning on the app. We are required to check this and follow up each day, which is using a lot of our time.

We will have house assemblies next week as we seek to revive the healthy competition that our house system supports and that we have missed over the last few years.

It has been encouraging to see so many students enthusiastic about signing up for their Challenge Week activities this week. House spirit has also got off to a great start this year with Interhouse Competitions in progress and everyone showing their house pride by wearing their house shirts on Friday. House Assemblies run by our House Captains will take place next week and Charity Fundraising for Houses is coming up at the end of September. Additionally, excitement is building around the campus with the CAS Activity programme, which will also start next week. 

A reminder that when students are in KGV uniform, including when in PE and Drama shorts, skorts and shirts, all items should be ESF/KGV branded items and comply with our KGV Dress Code. 

Please continue to update your child's RAT and temperature each morning on the app. We are required to check this and follow up with any that are incomplete daily. This is using a lot of our time.

Subject to the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of an adequate workforce, the Student Health Service of the Department of Health has adjusted its service provision to Year 7-9 students only. Please read the section in the newsletter and action as highlighted by Ms Budhrani. 

Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous Mid-Autumn Festival. 

It has been encouraging to see many students enthusiastic about signing up for their Challenge Week activities this week. House spirit has also got off to a great start this year with Interhouse Competitions in progress and everyone showing their house pride by wearing their house shirts on Friday. House Assemblies run by our House Captains will take place next week, and Charity Fundraising for Houses is coming up at the end of September. Additionally, excitement is building around the campus with the CAS Activity programme, which will start next week. 

A reminder that when students are in KGV uniform, including when in PE and Drama shorts, skorts and shirts, all items should be ESF/KGV branded items and comply with our KGV Dress Code. 

Please continue to update your child's RAT and temperature each morning on the app. We are required to check this and follow up with any incomplete daily. This is using a lot of our time.

Subject to the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of an adequate workforce, the Student Health Service of the Department of Health has adjusted its service provision to Year 7-9 students only. Please read the section in the newsletter and action highlighted by Ms Budhrani.

Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Thank you so much to those of you who were able to come to school last Monday. It was lovely to have Parents and Caregivers back on the KGV site. If you were unable to attend or would like access again to the materials we presented, please click on the links below;

Head of Year Presentation

MYP and RTI Presentation

Laptop Presentation

Mr Glover is running a cyber safety online parent presentation on 13 September for parents who want to know how to support their child online. Please click the link here to sign up if you wish to attend.

We also have a Coffee Morning for new parents on 14 September. We will use this as an opportunity to check in with you all about your experiences with the start of the term. Please click the link here if you would like to attend. 

Students completed their MIDYIS baseline assessment this week. Once we have all the data and analysed the results, we will work with families to ensure students have the correct support structures and extension opportunities.

Students completed the Year 7 Inter-House Tug of War competition this week. It was lovely to see tutor groups working as a team and getting involved in the House Spirit.

Next week, we hope Year 7 students will get involved with the infamous KGV Inter-house Knitting Competition! 

Please read the section in the newsletter about the Student Health Service forms and action as highlighted by Ms Budhrani.  

Next week is Week 2! Don’t forget about the Public Holiday on Monday. Enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations over the weekend.

The Year 7 Team

Year 12 students completed their Challenge Week sign-up on Monday and will be starting to look forward to these activities scheduled for the end of October. Parents will receive invoices for activities with costs very soon.

A reminder that we all still need to complete a RAT Test and record our temperatures on the ESF App each morning before coming to school each day. Please maintain the routine of completing this each morning.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Our Year 13 student leaders hosted a marvellous assembly today with two outstanding musical performances and superb speeches from everyone!

Our students celebrated a super start to the academic year and encouraged everyone to remember to help each other have as much fun as possible this year to balance out the hard work and stress that everyone is also enduring at this time .

A reminder that we all still need to complete a RAT Test and record our temperatures on the ESF App each morning before coming to school each day. Please maintain the routine of completing this each morning.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Individual 1-1 meetings between students & H.E. Counsellors started at the beginning of this week. Students are reminded to upload their personal statements to Unifrog to make the meeting more productive.

We encourage our Year 13 parents to sign up (here) to the Parent Information Session on 15 Sep, 18:00-18:45. Meeting link will be sent in the morning of 15 Sep to those who have signed up.

Though we spent most of our Term 1 with our Year 13 students to support their university applications, it doesn’t mean that we are not there for our Year 12s.

We understand that some Year 12s are still considering subject choices. Do contact us if they would like to discuss their options, especially when their choices may affect their higher education applications.

All Year 12s are given their personal account on Unifrog, a platform with vast resources on options in careers options, study pathways, personality profiles, destination information, CV builders, MOOCs, and many more.

Our email address: careers.office@kgv.edu.hk.

KGV Careers Team

At KGV we want all our students to feel a strong sense of community and belonging. An important aspect is socialising at breaks and lunchtimes with friends or classmates. For many of our students, this comes naturally, but it can prove more difficult for some.

To help students navigate this, our Wellbeing Prefects and Ambassadors have set up ‘Peer Patrol’, an initiative where students leaders approach peers who are alone or seem isolated to let them know they are seen and cared for. There is also the option for younger students to join a Lunchtime Social club, run on Tuesday lunchtimes by the group, with opportunities for games and low-pressure socialising. Both these initiatives are supported by staff who have provided training to our student leaders and guidance on running activities.

The goal is to help everyone in our KGV community feel connected and safe and we thank our student leaders for their actions.

It’s great to see the excitement building around the campus with the CAS Activity programme starting next week. The allocation has happened, so we hope the students have managed to get something to engage in this term. Please see some notes about what happens next 

• If students didn’t get a space for their chosen activity, they will remain on the waitlist and be notified when a space becomes available
• There are several activities that still have spaces available, and students can browse Lionel and sign up anytime from today. 
• For activities that require an additional fee, students and parents will be notified of what that fee is and how to pay the provider. 

New activities are often added to the programme as we progress through the term, so please remind students to check the student bulletin and check the activity section on Lionel.

Finally, if students have changed their mind and/or their circumstances, which means they cannot take part, please encourage them to contact their teacher or student leaders directly as there could be someone sitting waiting that could take their place.

I look forward to seeing the school campus buzzing with activity next week. 

Dean Beard

CAS, Service-Learning and Activities Coordinator

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 participate 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 previously.  Each provider offers various courses targeting different ages and topic areas.  These courses may take place in person and online and may start at various times throughout the year.  Each provider 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 offer scholarships.

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Program for the Gifted & Talented

https://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/pgt/

The details of the Winter Programme have not yet been released, but students can view the details of the Spring/Summer programmes to get an idea of the range of courses that may be offered in the future.

Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education

https://www.hkage.org.hk/en/

Students who want to be considered for a school nomination must email Mr Hotwani by 9 am on Monday, 19 September.  Further details of the HKAGE Screening Programme will be sent to these students.  Please note that the process of applying to the HKAGE is long and time-consuming, so students need to be committed to this.  Students who miss this deadline can still apply by the HKAGE deadline through the Self-Nomination process.  Additionally, the school can nominate one student from Years 9-11 for the “Principal’s Nomination”, highlighting a student with leadership potential.  If students wish to be considered for this, they need to write a one-page letter explaining their leadership experience and why they believe they should be nominated and send the letter to Mr Hotwani by 9 am on Monday, 19 September.  Mr Blackshaw will then review these for his selection.  Shortlisted students may be asked for further information.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Center for the Development of the Gifted and Talented

https://cdgt.hkust.edu.hk/eng/

Students interested in the HKUST Dual program must submit the application form and supporting documents via the HKUST website and forward the acknowledgement email and supporting papers to Mr Hotwani by 9 am on Friday, 23 September (earlier than the HKUST deadline). Otherwise, there will not be enough time for the school to process and submit our paperwork before the HKUST school deadline.  Applications submitted after this time will not be included as part of the school nomination.  Students can still apply by the HKUST deadline through the Individual Application process.

Johns Hopkins University

Center for Talented Youth

https://cty.jhu.edu/

There will be several free online parent/student information webinars in September 2022: https://centerfortalentedyouth.formstack.com/forms/cty_virtual_information_sessions_2023_multilingual

Students can then apply directly if they are interested in taking part.  Please email ctyinfo@jhu.edu for more information.

University of Hong Kong

Academy for the Talented

https://talented.hku.hk/

The details of the next round of applications/nominations have not yet been released, but students can view the details of the previous programmes to get an idea of the range of courses that may be offered.  Based on previous years, we expect the application process to start later this term.

We encourage 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 can apply directly, they should do so.  If students require a reference/recommendation/nomination from the school, they should contact Mr Hotwani.  Please be aware that it can take 2-3 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.

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

The Student Health Service of the Department of Health is inviting secondary one to three students (our Year 7-9 students) in the school year 2022/2023 to enroll for an annual health assessment at their Student Health Service Centres. Subject to the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of an adequate workforce, the Student Health Service has adjusted its service provision to only our Year 7-9 students.

The Student Health Service aims to safeguard the physical and psychological health of students through health promotion and disease prevention services, enabling them to gain the maximum benefit from the education system and develop their full potential. The scope of service includes a physical examination, health assessment, individual health counselling and health education.

Students joining the Student Health Service will be charged according to their eligibility status. The service is provided free to students who are “eligible persons” (please see “Notes for Parents/Guardians” for details).

Enrolled students of the Student Health Service will be given an annual appointment at a designated Student Health Service Centre; for KGV School, this will be Kowloon City Lions Club Student Health Service Centre.

We would like to invite your child to participate in this service. Please download this Application and Consent Form, (if you do not agree to enrol your child in the Student Health Service, please complete Parts A and C of the form). After completing the form, please send it with your child to your child’s tutor.  We will collect these forms from Tuesday 13 September till Friday 16 September.

For further details on the Student Health Service, you may browse the Student Health Service website (www.studenthealth.gov.hk) or refer to the below documents.

Letter to Parents/Guardians

Application and Consent Form

Notes for Parents/Guardians

Health Programmes at Student Health Service Centre

Student Health Service Pamphlet

Message from MTR

To bring further convenience to students applying for the MTR Student Travel Scheme (“the Scheme”), the following updated arrangements are in place for eligible students of Academic Year 2022/2023.

1. Advanced Opening of Online Application

To further facilitate the eligible students to apply for the Scheme, we are pleased to inform you that the online application platform will be opened earlier from 9 am on 18 August 2022. Meanwhile, the hardcopy application will start as usual from 1 September 2022.

Important remark: From this Academic Year onwards, the purchase of temporary Octopus will not be provided before the application is approved. As such, students in need are advised to submit their application as soon as the online application platform is opened to enjoy the concessionary fares.

However, for the students who are already holding the previously approved Personalised Octopus with “Student Status”, as usual, the concession will expire no earlier than 31 October 2022.

2. Additional Student Identity Verification Method

For New Applications, students who do not have a student identity card yet at the time of application, the enrolment certificate for the academic Year 2022/2023 issued by the school will also be accepted as a special arrangement.

3. More Online Payment Methods

Various online payment methods for the application fee, including Octopus, Alipay HK and Credit Card, are introduced for New Applications.

4. Communication Pack

To facilitate the communications with students and parents on the digitalised process, a communication pack and lazy pack with a tutorial video ([Web Link]) are enclosed.

Should you have any enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Tin on 2756 3087 or Ms Chan on 2798 3488 during office hours (8:30 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays except Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays)

Top Tips on Digital Safety
Tuesday, 13 September 2022
6:30-7:30 pm
Online via Zoom

We would like to share some top tips on how to manage digital safety. Join us for a virtual session with Lewis Glover, Learning Tech Co-ordinator and Head of Computer Science, who will share his expert advice on how parents can help their child/children keep safe with their digital devices.

For registration,  please sign up here.

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

Mid-Autumn Festival is coming tomorrow. Our Year 7 students enjoyed making lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival in their Chinese classes to celebrate the traditional culture yesterday. We wish everyone an enjoyable long weekend.

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