Principal's message

Dear Parents and Guardians

Firstly, our thoughts are sympathies with the people of Türkiye and Syria impacted by the devastating earthquake. We appreciate that some in our KGV community will likely have friends and relatives affected by this disaster. Our Student Leaders, Charity and Service Committees are looking at ways our school can assist in the weeks ahead. As a community, we are committed to doing what we can to offer support in this crisis.

A shout-out to our Year 11 students who completed their mock exams over the past two weeks. We appreciate the efforts of our Year 11 students in preparing for and completing the exams. The students will get the results and feedback shortly, which will help them, and their teachers focus on what we need to reteach and relearn in the following eight weeks of this term.

Thank you to all the parents who have completed the ESF KGV Parent Stakeholder Survey. The email link was sent this morning to the parent listed as the first contact on our Lionel system yet to complete the survey. The survey only takes a couple of minutes to complete and provides valuable feedback for our school. The survey closes on Sunday, and we would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete it.

Chat GTP and other emerging ‘artificial intelligence’ language models are creating significant media and community interest at the moment. We are discussing it with staff and students as we seek to engage with the new technologies and deepen our understanding of what it means for teaching, learning and assessment. We appreciate that there are some significant opportunities and risks moving forward. We plan to hold an online parent webinar information and feedback session on “ChatGPT and AI models and impacts on education”. To register for the event scheduled for Tuesday, 21 February, from 6.00 -7.00 pm, please click here.

Have a good weekend.

Mark Blackshaw

Principal, KGV School

Year 10 Message

On Wednesday, we worked through essential revision and study skills with all of Year 10.

We covered:

• Procrastination and how to address it
• The Pomodoro study technique
• The fundamental importance of sleep
• Organising their time
• Cornell notes and diagrams/mapping as active revision techniques
• Use of Syllabus statements to scaffold all study
• Use of flash cards

I hope that Year 10 students feel more equipped and competent now, to work towards their goals.

Students have easy access to all materials for the day, and we encourage you to talk to them about what they learned and how they will apply this information to their revision and organisation.

Just a reminder that KGV is a nut-free school, so please ensure your child does not bring food items containing nuts.

Year 11 Message

Year 11 students completed their mock exams today. I have spoken to several students over the last few days who describe how the mocks have helped them realise they can handle multiple exams and have been useful in terms of preparation and revision.

They will be tired, and we are very proud of the way they approached the exams over the last two weeks.

We hope to collate all grades and feedback into a mock report by Friday, February 24th. This will be a useful document for tutors and parents to use with students to support them in setting goals for the two months before their final exams.

Students have previously researched and entered their preliminary option choices for Year 12. On Friday 24th, the system will be reset, and students will make their final option requests for Year 12. These choices are very important, and parents and tutors must sign off on them.

We will send out more information over the coming weeks about option choices. Please reach out if you have any questions or need any support during this process.

Just a reminder that KGV is a nut-free school, so please ensure your child does not bring food items containing nuts.

Year 7 Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This week we have spent some time reminding students about some of the expectations which make our campus a safe and welcoming place to learn, play and be. Firstly, as a ‘nut-free’ school, all snacks and lunches brought from home should not contain nuts. Our canteen and food outlets will display signs next week highlighting nut-free food options available.

We have also had to remind students about the need to pick up after themselves and use the bins to dispose of rubbish. Support in this from home would be highly appreciated. 

The Student Inclusion and Equity (I&E) Resource Group, which contains some Year 7 students, meets weekly to discuss student experiences around the campus. We are currently organising student focus groups to discuss the importance of language. We will be addressing inappropriate language and how we need to be careful about how the language we use impacts others. It would be great if we could have more Year 7 students in this group. If your child is interested, please ask them to contact Ms Beer (carole.beer@kgv.edu.hk). 

Thank you to those parents who attended this week’s Music Academy presentation. Next week, there is a parent talk on 14th February. Please see the PTSA  item below for more details.

Next week, students will be completing a wellbeing survey during tutor time. We do this several times a year to help us identify how students are travelling and where best to focus additional support and strategies.

Have a great weekend.

Year 12 Message

Our Year 12 students are invited to our KGV Careers Fair this coming Wednesday, 15th March during lunchtime in the hall. A reminder for our Year 12 students to sign up for the ESF University Fair on 16th February from 7pm with a focus on North America. Please see our Careers bulletin below.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Year 13 Message

Our Year 13 students are now entering an important period as they garner valuable feedback from their subject teachers that will help them in the coming weeks as they prepare for their final examinations or final units of work in the case of our BTEC students.

Mock Data is available to view from 6pm this evening and you can see any completed feedback through the CCF link in Lionel in the App.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Year 8 Message

The biannual Student Wellbeing Survey will run from Monday to Thursday next week. Please see the newsletter item for more information. 

Our Year 7- 9 Student Council has been meeting regularly to collect ideas and share opinions. A selected group of students will focus on the canteen and meet with Sodexo in two weeks to discuss their improvement ideas. 

Our KGV school value of Empathy continues to be a focus in our tutor groups and assemblies. This week's assembly showcased examples of where Year 8 and 9 students have shown or seen empathy in the community.  

This week we have spent some time reminding students about some of the expectations which make our campus a safe and welcoming place to learn, play and be. Firstly, as a ‘nut-free’ school, all snacks and lunches brought from home should not contain nuts. Our canteen and food outlets will display signs highlighting nut-free food options next week.

We have also had to remind students about the need to pick up after themselves and use the bins to dispose of rubbish. Support in this from home would be highly appreciated. 

Year 9 Message

The biannual Student Wellbeing Survey will run from Monday to Thursday next week. Please see the newsletter item for more information. 

Our Year 7-9 Student Council has been meeting regularly to collect ideas and share opinions. A selected group of students will focus on the canteen and meet with Sodexo in two weeks to discuss their improvement ideas. 

I hope you have heard exciting things about The Year 9 Community Project. Students have a follow-up day on Tuesday, 14th February. Students have been emailed information about this day from Mr Beard.  

Our KGV school value of Empathy continues to be a focus in our tutor groups and assemblies. This week's assembly showcased examples of where Year 8 and 9 students have shown or seen empathy in the community.  

The Year 9 Subject Options system will re-open between January 30th and February 20th.  Students do not have to do anything if they are happy with their original choices. If they want to change one or more subjects, they must log into Lionel and make the changes where required.

As part of the option choice process, there is a Careers Fair for Year 9 students on Wednesday, 15th February, during Period 5.    

This week we have spent some time reminding students about some of the expectations which make our campus a safe and welcoming place to learn, play and be. Firstly, as a ‘nut-free’ school, all snacks and lunches brought from home should not contain nuts. Our canteen and food outlets will display signs highlighting nut-free food options next week.

We have also had to remind students about the need to pick up after themselves and use the bins to dispose of rubbish. Support in this from home would be highly appreciated. 

Student Wellbeing Survey

Each year, we ask students to complete a short survey about various aspects of their wellbeing. This includes questions on things like friendships, how they are coping with school work, quality of sleep and whether they feel cared for by teachers. Students also have the chance to let us know if they have any concerns about any of their friends or if they would like to have a counselling appointment. The purpose of the survey is threefold; an opportunity for students to self-reflect on aspects of their wellbeing, a chance for us to identify any individual students who may need additional support, and finally, for us to get the ‘big picture’ of general student wellbeing at KGV. Here is a short video for our students explaining the survey's purpose and structure further [Web Link].

The survey is administered twice a year, in September and again in February. Next week students will be asked to complete the Student Wellbeing Survey. They will be emailed the survey link, and it will also be posted all week on the student bulletin. Students will be given time at school to complete this but are also welcome to do it in their own time if they prefer; it should only take around 10 minutes. The student responses are not anonymous, and their tutor or a nominated staff member will have a follow-up conversation with each student in the coming weeks. If you need it, we will be happy to provide additional support.

If you have questions about the survey, please contact Vice Principal Mrs Kiely Murphy. We encourage you to your child’s tutor at any time if you have concerns or information you’d like to share with us about your child’s wellbeing. 

Careers & H.E. Guidance

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

KGV Careers Website is another platform where we share information and resources on higher education, scholarship, external events, enrichment programmes and many more.

ESF University Fair 2023 (virtual) – IMPORTANT!!

The last session of the Fair is on 16 Feb for North America

The Fair is open to all in the ESF community, with Y12 students expected to attend at least one of the sessions. Details on registration procedures were emailed to all Y10-Y12 parents before the Lunar New Year break. Students in Y10-Y12 students were briefed about registration procedures and preparation for the Fair. To ensure proper access to the Fair, students & parents should register as soon as possible. Successful registrations will receive an email from Airmeet providing a unique link to access the Fair. Any technical support should be directed to help@unifrog.org.

HE Resources via Google Classroom for Y12 & Y13. All resources for higher education applications are available via Google Classroom, including internal deadlines. Students should look out for announcements & reminders. Y13s should ensure they are keeping their paces with applications.

Student official full names are used on school transcripts. We want to ask parents to check that their children’s official full name in the school record matches that on their identity documents. This is especially so when students are known in school by their preferred names, which may not be their official names. Unmatched names may cause difficulties with university offers.

Year 13

• Close communication with HE Counsellors. Apart from keeping to internal deadlines, students should work closely with their HE Counsellors and keep informed of their HE applications. Any missed communications may result in a delay in providing the necessary support for applications, which may result in missed offers.
• Application Status & Offers. Applicants are starting to receive offer decisions. Students should have regular communications with their HE Counsellors on their application status.

Year 12

• 1-1 session with HE Counsellors. The Students should have received an email with their individual appointment details and preparation before the session. There is a questionnaire for students to complete before they attend their appointment. It is important that they attend the session to discuss their post-KGV intentions.
• BTEC Internship (W1: 20-24 March; W2: 27-31 March). Correspondence on the Y12 BTEC internship went out to our BTEC students and their parents before term break. Students were briefed on 13 Jan with their placement details. The deadline for submitting application letter and CV is on 6 Feb. More sessions are planned for students to prepare them for the placements.
• Year 12 Parent information session is scheduled on Wednesday, 15 Feb, 18.00. An email went out earlier this week to Y12 parents to sign up for the Zoom meeting. A Zoom link will be sent to parents on the morning of 15 Feb.
• KGV Careers Fair 2023 on 15 Feb.  Our Careers Fair is returning to our campus this year.  Y12 students are most welcome to join the Fair at Hall during lunch break.

KGV School References

The KGV Careers Office is coordinating all references for students. KGV School has a closed reference policy. School references are treated with the strictest confidentiality and are sent only to the institution that makes a request. Students and their families do not get to see their school reference.

• Reference for Y13s’ higher education application: All current Y13 students have a school reference in place as one of the support school documents. There is no need for students to make a request. Students should work closely with their HE. Counsellor for their applications.
• References for non-higher education purposes, including potential exit, summer school, scholarship, etc: Parents should inform the Careers Office by email, providing purpose and contact for sending the reference. The normal lead time for teachers to work on school references is 4-6 working weeks.

University Events on the KGV Careers Calendar

Highlight of upcoming events:

University visit @ KGV, during lunch time at Senior Student Common Room

1 Mar: Leeds, BIMM
2 Mar: EU Business School
15 Mar: Bath
20 Mar: Leeds Beckett
22 Mar: Nottingham, York, Cardiff, Leicester & Durham

U.K.
Feb 2023 (various dates): Cambridge: Foundation Year Applicant Support Programme
Feb 2023 (various dates): Think Cambridge 2023 Webinar series continues

Europe
Feb 2023 (various dates): Carl Benz School of Engineering webinars

Japan
15 Feb: APU Japan – Hong Kong Student & Alumni Sharing

Singapore
25 Feb-6 Mar: NUS Online Open House

KGV Careers Team

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 personalised, small group session on a Friday to chat with the Principal, Mark Blackshaw, on various topics or areas you would like to discuss.

Our upcoming session will be on Friday, 17 February 2023, at 10.30-11.15 am.

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 a session this term, please sign up on this form.

New Student Counsellor in the building?

Let me begin by introducing the newest member of the wellbeing team at KGV. It’s me, Tanya Tayal; I am the new Senior Counsellor. It has been a passion of mine to work with the young generation helping them explore and express their thoughts and feelings without judgement. I bring along an 8-year of experience in clinical and non-clinical settings working as a counselling psychologist. I believe mental health work is not just about intervention and treatment but more about prevention and self-growth.

What we do at the wellbeing centre (WeTalkHub):

• Offer free-of-charge counselling service to students to discuss problems, thoughts and feelings. We encourage students to use this opportunity to address personal, relational, educational, emotional, family, or other issues affecting their well-being in a confidential setting.

• Hold mental health and well-being promotion programmes. School social workers regularly organise group sessions as an educative and preventive measure for volunteering students.

• Offer referral services for students in need of intensive support to specialists.

• Provide crisis intervention service for students experiencing overwhelming emotions.

As a KGV parent, you can make referrals for your child to get counselling. Encourage them to walk into the WeTalkHub and seek to speak to a counsellor/social worker, or you can write to us at KGV Student Support student.support@kgv.edu.hk.

You can learn more about the well-being services at KGV here: https://sites.google.com/kgv.hk/wellbeing/home

Parent talk -Parents’ guide on approaching youth substance use in Hong Kong

Tuesday, 14 February 2023
6.30- 8.00 pm
online

This interactive seminar provides parents with knowledge on the risks of different substances more commonly used by youth in Hong Kong, particularly drugs such as cannabis and cocaine, vaping, and alcohol. Speakers have been invited to share and discuss techniques for candid conversations with youth on these issues. Ultimately, the session aims to create empathy among participants to understand the decision-making process among youths. The session will also explore some harm reduction tips for parents to know how to reduce the risks for their children. By the end of the session, parents will be empowered to act as positive role models and trusted adults that youth can reach out to. 

Please register here if you'd like to attend.

Parent Volunteers needed!

We are looking for parent volunteers to help us at the KGV shop.  If you are interested to volunteer some of your time to help, please contact Tiffany Chau at tiffany.chau@kgv.edu.hk

If you are interested in community service with external organisations, please contact our social worker at catherine.yeung@kgv.edu.hk

Canteen Menu

For 13 - 17 February