Principal's message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It was a busy week at KGV with our Year 13 IB students heading off for study leave before their IB Diploma exams start next month. All Year 13 students had fun celebrating their last week of lessons, with two ‘dress up’ days around ‘characters’ and ‘future careers’. They finished today with the traditional KGV “March Pass”, with the rest of the school applauding them along our KGV driveway. We wish our students all the best as they complete their IB exams and BTEC coursework over the coming term.

Last evening, we experienced a wonderful celebration of dancing and singing talent in the hotly contested Evening of Music and Dance (EOMD) competition. The House spirit was alive as our House Dance Captains led their teams in this competition. In a different spin this year, we combined Year 7 to Year 13 student teams, providing excellent mentoring and coaching opportunities for our students. Again, seeing some of the KGV traditions returning after the COVID restrictions is excellent.

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge Ramadan as the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, as observed by Muslims within our Hong Kong community and worldwide. We wish all a “Ramadan Kareem” (a blessed and happy Ramadan).

I also wish our families a happy Easter holiday and a wonderful two-week break. A shout out to our Year 11 and 13 students who will know they will be spending much of this time studying for their upcoming exams. A reminder that we are all back at school on Monday, 17th April, for the start of Term 3.

Take care, and thank you for your ongoing support.

Kind Regards

Mark Blackshaw

Principal, KGV School.

Year 10 Message

We hope all Year 10 students enjoy a well-earned break and return with energy for the final term.

Congratulations to Alex Climie, who received the "Most Outstanding" delegate award at the HK Model United Nations held at Science park last weekend.

Students wore their winter ties for the last time this week; we will be in summer uniform after the two-week break.

Year 11 Message

Year 11 students wore their middle school ties for the last time ever on Thursday. Summer uniform is in place for the week that they attend following the break.

Congratulations to these students who received awards at the HK Model United Nations held at Science park last weekend.

• Ariel Suen (Security Council) - Best Delegate
• Cynthia Mu (Belarus) - Outstanding Delegate
• Ashley Kwok (Human Rights Council) - Most Improved

We hope students get some rest over the break and use the time to progress their exam preparations.

This week all students received their personal exam timetables. On that document they can see their exam candidate number and the confirmed dates and times for all their exams. They should use this personal timetable alongside the detailed full timetable to find out the venues and check for any changes or updates. Please don't print out the final exam timetable, it is a live document and may change. Students and parents can also see the one page overview here.

Year 12 Message

The Year 12 team wishes all of our community a well-deserved and peaceful rest over the holiday period.

We look forward to seeing our Year 12 students after the break, fully recharged and ready for a productive Term 3!

Year 7 Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Woohoo! We made it to the end of term, and finished it in style with the return of our annual Evening of Music and Dance (EOMD). Yesterday evening, the KGV hall was packed with parents, guests and students as we watched the most amazing musical and dance performances. I was so proud to see so many Year 7 students taking part. A big shout out to Year 7 Rowell musicians: Anissa Lau, Sophie Kim, PJ Leung, Sophia Montefiore and Hailey Yuen. An extra special shout out to our superb dancers! Ashley Fok represented Year 7 in Crozier, whilst in Nightingale, we had Hillary Lee, Anushka Sujanani and Vandita Chugani. Rowell saw the amazing Charissa Chin perform, and the EOMD 2023 Winners, Upsdell, had Edna Wong and Sanaah Jain representing Year 7! Also, thank you so much to our Year 7 Transition Team, who were the evening’s ushers.

Year 7s definitely need a break over the next two weeks. We hope you can spend time as a family. 

We return to school on Monday, 17th April, when we will be in summer uniform. This means no ties! We will be starting the term strong on uniform expectations, so please check the website for reminders.

Thank you all for your support over the term. See you in a couple of weeks.

The Year 7 Team.

Year 8 & 9 Message

We want to thank you for all your support over the long term since our Chinese New Year break.  We have achieved so much with your children, and it has been wonderful to get back to our 'new normal' in recent weeks. Seeing some of our KGV traditions return has been heartwarming. 

Our students have actively engaged in various academic and extracurricular activities throughout the term. From participating in Math and sporting competitions to showcasing artistic talents in music and dance performances, our students have demonstrated their dedication and enthusiasm for learning.

When we return on 17 April, we will be in summer uniform, which means no ties! We will start the term strong on uniform expectations, so please check the website for reminders. Please could we ask you to take some time over the holiday break to check your child’s uniform - does it still fit, do they have all the items they need, and is it all clearly named? 

Finally, we wish all families a safe and enjoyable holiday break. We encourage our students to take the opportunity to rest and recharge, so they can return to school refreshed and ready to learn.

Thank you again for your continued support, and we look forward to another successful term ahead.

The Year 8 & 9 Student Development Team

Year 13 Message

What a lovely week we have had celebrating with our wonderful Year 13 students as they come towards the end of their time at KGV. They have been accredited to both KGV and their families.

A reminder that our BTEC students will continue to have normal lessons after the break until their teachers sign them off as completed all of their units.

Also, our IB students will continue to be supported by their subject teachers, who will be available to help during normal timetabled lessons. Please contact your teacher at least a day in advance to give them the notice to plan how best to help you with your revision during this time.

The Year 13 team wishes all of our community a well-deserved and peaceful rest over the holiday period.

Exam Stress - Strategies for Parents and Teens

With the exams approaching, it could be hard as parents to watch your teens crumble under that stress. For some of you, it could be frustrating to watch your teens not rising up to your expectations or a feeling that your teen is not reaching their full potential. However, it is worth noting that even the best-prepared students could falter under stress!

Here are some tried and tested strategies from the KGV Counselling Team that would hopefully help both parents and teens with exam stress.

We are here to help your teens if they need support, please encourage them to seek help student.support@kgv.edu.hk

➢ Create a quiet and supportive study space at home for study. Minimise distractions by setting some rules to minimise distractions like setting an expectation that mobile phones should be left outside the study space and younger/older siblings should not enter this
space during specific times when your teen is studying.

➢ Recognise and acknowledge when your teen is stressed. Help them make a list of their triggers for stress and list out the coping strategies that have worked for them. Having this list visually available to them on their desk would serve as a good reminder for them to use when they are stressed. When exam days are underway, going for a walk together or going out to have a meal together with your teen may be a great way to let your teen vent about any concerns they have or have a debrief with you on their last exam. This prepares them to move on to studying for the next.

➢ Always remember to offer reassurance. One of the best ways to support your teen with exam stress is to offer your supportive reassurance. If your teen is stressed because they are unsure that they would get the required scores to get into their preferred course, remember that you need to be the calming presence in their lives. Reassure your teens that there is more than one way to university or their preferred course and that this could be explored together after the exam period ends.

➢ Discuss expectations openly. It is important for you and your teenager to understand each others’ expectations, especially around examination outcomes. It is not surprising to find that your teens' expectations of themselves and your expectations of them may
be quite different. Discussing plan A and plan B upfront would greatly relieve stress and help them to work around their goals.

➢ Brainstorm a study timetable with your teen and help them prioritise tasks. Most teens dislike the idea of parents interfering with their time management. Just being politely curious about their study plan without being judgemental could become a good conversation starter leading to productive conversations. It would be good to make alternate schedules beforehand just in case
plan A does not work as planned.

➢ Prevent your own stress from affecting your teen’s behaviours. Teenagers are incredibly perceptive in picking up their parents’ stress and emotions. Remember to be the calming presence in your teen’s life in these stressful times. A stressed teen and a stressed parent in the same household will increase the tension tenfold and make it even more difficult. Make sure you take time for yourself as a parent too to relax and reset so you are ready to offer support to your teen when they need it. Make sure you
have a clear understanding of whether they want your attention when they’re stressed, or if they’d prefer some time alone. Model good coping strategies to them - teens often observe and learn from their parents, quietly.

➢ Always remember to show your teenager how proud you are of their efforts, regardless of the outcome of their exams. If they are feeling low, remind them of the times that they have overcome challenges, and that you are with them, regardless of the outcome. Sharing your vulnerabilities as a teenager and how you overcame them would be a great way to help them see the light at the end of the tunnel. Be sure to let your teenager know that no matter what the outcome is, you have their back. Assure them that it is important for them to just do their best and get through all their exams first. Everything else could be sorted out later collaboratively.

➢ Make allowances for family rules and responsibilities. When your teen is working towards their exams, it would be a great time to consider making allowances on the agreed family rules, especially around chores, attending family dinners etc. Try not to use family rules as ways of study breaks. Your teen is more likely to relax well between studying if the study breaks are fun rather than a to-do list like taking the garbage out, washing dishes, or meeting family for dinner when they are not ready to.

Last but not the least, please remember to continue to reassure your teen that you are their ally and that you are on the same side and not the opposite side. Remember to let your choices of parenting reflect your hopes for your teen, not your fears!

What your teen will tend to remember lifelong is how well they felt supported by you in their stressful times.

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.

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 would like 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
Today is our Year 13 IB students’ last day of school before their exam break. Our heartiest wishes to a productive Easter break and all the best with the upcoming IB exams. We do need, however, from our Year 13 students….

• 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 communication may result is a delay in providing 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.
• IBO Result Service. Students doing IBDP or IB courses are recommended to subscribe to the IBO Result Service that sends student’s final results to the institution they specify. Students were briefed at Tutor Time on 2 Mar on how to do this. Our Exam Office is coordinating this service and an email was sent to Y13 students about subscribing to this service. For queries about IBO Result Service, please email exam@kgv.edu.hk.
• Y13 Exit plan. Careers & H.E. Team briefed our Class of 2023 on exit plan at Tutor Time on 16 March. This, together with other H.E. presentations, can be found in the Google Classrooms.  A parent presentation is planned after the Easter break.

Year 12

• 1-1 session with HE Counsellors. The 1-to-1 meetings are completed, except for those who missed their schedule appointments. These students should reach to their individual H.E. Counsellor at the soonest.  Notes made during the meetings are available on individual student's Lionel page.
• Higher Education Presentation Series. Our Year 12s a refresher on higher education by the Careers Office last week. More higher education presentations are in plan starting Term 3.
• BTEC Work Experience. The BTEC students have completed a two-week internship. We have received amazing comments from our partners. Kudos to all who have got out of their comfort zone and release their potentials. Well done!

KGV School References – All KGV students

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 H.E. 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

17 Apr: BMHS
18 Apr: University of Calgary
19 Apr: Keele University
20 Apr: University of Toronto

Hong Kong
1 Apr: BEC x NESS Green Jobs Fair
2 Apr: HKOSA Youth Summit 2023

U.K.
Mar-Apr (various dates): UCL Spring into STEM Lecture Series
Apr (various dates): Northumbria University International Webinar Series
11-14 Apr: Screen & Film School Easter Series
12-13 Apr: Oxford International Student Webinar: Introduction to Applying
19-20 Apr: Oxford International Parent Webinar: A Parent’s Guide
20 Apr: U of Sussex International Law Masterclass
26-27 Apr: Oxford International Parent Webinar: Application Process

Europe
Mar-Apr (various dates): Carl Benz School of Engineering webinars (Germany)
5 Apr: Audencia International Virtual Open House (France)
20 Apr: Bocconi Taster Lecture: Populism: From Genesis to Revelation (Italy)

Australia
1 Apr: U of Sydney – Meet Sydney Virtual Info Session

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

Friday 21 April 2023, 10.30 - 11.15 am (online).

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 morning, to chat with the Principal, Mark Blackshaw on various topics or areas you would like to discuss.

Our upcoming session will be on Friday 21 April 2023, 10.30-11.15 am, 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 this form.

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

Support available to students in Hong Kong

Student well-being is essential to us. The school does all it can to provide students with the proper support. 

If you or your child need help at the weekend, during holidays, or after school hours, please look at the attachment with information and hotlines available to support you in Hong Kong.

The Lion Yearbook 2023

Lion Yearbook pre-order is open, please access the order form here: https://forms.gle/zrHWM3bSZErpPDv86

Price: $220

Pickup at KGV: In June

Order deadline: 18 April 2023

1 An invoice will be sent after order submission in mid-April, with instructions for payment on Parent’s App.

2 There will be no spare copies of the Yearbook, so only paid orders will be processed.

Thank you for your understanding and support! We hope you will enjoy another year of extraordinary KGV achievement showcased in The Lion Yearbook 2022-23. For order inquiries, please email: elaine.chan@kgv.edu.hk