Principal's message

Dear Parents and Guardians

Thank you to the over 670 parents recently completing the KGV Stakeholder Survey. This feedback enables us to consider what we need to keep, stop and start doing more of at KGV. The overall results were very positive, with an average score of 4.0 out of a maximum of 5.0 across all the questions.

The scores that rated the highest included:

• My child enjoys school
• My child feels safe at school
• I understand the school’s vision and values
• My child is making progress

The scores that were lower than others on the satisfaction scale included:

• I feel part of the school community
• The parent education opportunities enable me to support my child

We are now looking through all the comments to identify the major themes that we can focus on, to ensure that we continue to improve the school for our students, our parents, and the community.

Three of the strongest positive themes identified so far are:

1. Communication - Parents appreciate the regular updates and transparency from the school. This is facilitated through the ESF App, regular newsletters, and online meetings. Parents value two-way communication and timely feedback on their children's progress and development
2. Quality of Education - Parents praised the school's quality of education, noting the excellent teachers and their dedication to student growth. They appreciate the balance between academic focus, a broad curriculum, and a range of extra-curricular activities. Parents also note that their children are nearly always happy at school, suggesting a positive learning environment
3. School reputation and sense of community - The school's standing in the community is noted as a strength, and parents commend the school's work in fostering a diverse and supportive community. Parents feel that the school, as a whole, supports students' learning and development in various dimensions, from academic to physical, cultural, and social.

Three of the strongest themes identified by parents to improve upon included:

1. Policies and procedures- Parents requested better communication regarding policies and procedures and are looking for more frequent updates on student progress. The feedback pointed to the situation where some parents may not know how to access the live feedback after every assessment through the Lionel system.
2. Uniform and equipment -Parents expressed concerns about the ability of students to handle personal items, the weight of backpacks, and the frequent uniform changes during the day.
3. Interruptions - some parents expressed thoughts regarding interrupting class learning with the resumption of extracurricular events. They suggested reviewing this and managing events to minimise the impact

We are using this data to inform our broader review and reflection process to ultimately inform our improvement planning priorities for next year. Next week I will share a summary of the feedback data from students.

I hope you have a good weekend.

Regards.

Mark Blackshaw

Principal, KGV School

Year 11 Message

This week we have had exams for first language Chinese and Computer Science.

The next two weeks will be the most challenging for all of our Year 11 students as the majority of exams happen over a short span of time. Please ensure your child has double-checked the exam timetable and arrives at school with plenty of time.

Next week we have:

• Monday: Geography, Business, World Lit (English) and RS.
• Tuesday: Biology for double and triple award
• Wednesday: World Lit (English)
• Thursday: First language Chinese Writing, Computer Science and History
• Friday: Sports Studies (PE), Maths and Psychology

 This will be very challenging and we wish all of our Year 11 students the very best and remind them that we are here to help if they need anything.

Year 10 Message

Year 10 are in the middle of a number of assessments at the moment. We talked to all students through our assembly on Thursday about stress management and keeping these assessments in perspective. They are for feedback and to help with learning.

We shared a number of tips for using chatGPT and other generative AI tools to help them with revision, understanding, quizzing and help with exam type questions. This technology allows them to get help when they need it.

Year 12 & 13 Message

Our superbly talented Year 13 BTEC students extend an invitation to our parent community to visit their exhibition, being held at the GLT here in school on Wednesday 24th May.

We are looking forward to our Year 13 Graduation Ceremony on Wednesday 31st May at 6 pm. We will be having a rehearsal for our Graduates before then and will confirm the time of the rehearsal with our students nearer the date.

Our wonderful Year 12 student leaders hosted a fantastic assembly today where we were treated to a fabulous musical performance from Oliver Chung! Our Student Leaders highlighted the need for all of the Year Group to look after their own wellbeing as we head into Mental Health Awareness Week next week. Our Principal, Mr Blackshaw, called on our student community for support in helping KGV to become a Zero Carbon school.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Year 7 Message

Dear  Parents and Caregivers,

KGV has made it to the finals of the Battle of the Books competition!  The KGV team comprised of twelve students, with eleven of them from the mighty Year 7. The final takes place next Friday. We wish the following students the best of luck as they represent KGV School in this competition;

Rossie Liu       Laura Yang

Miley Lee        Nathan Fong

Anay Labh      Arjun Sharma

Even Chan     Ivan Lo

Betsy Li          Siyoung  Jun

Iryna Fan

As highlighted by Mark Blackshaw, in his newsletter items, we have been listening to students and learning more about their KGV Experience. Year  7 students have been integral to these discussions and we have heard how much they value their friendships  and the opportunity to learn new subjects at KGV. It has been lovely to hear how much they have enjoyed their first year  at KGV  School.

Next week is  Mental Health Awareness Week at KGV. On Friday, we will be holding a Dress Casual Day, with students wearing  Green and paying $20 to go to  our  school charities.

Have a good weekend.

Year 8 Message

Thank you to all Year 8 students for putting their Year 9 Subject Choices in. We are in the process of timetabling for next year. If you haven’t recently checked your child's option choices on Lionel, please do so. 

In several subjects, students in Year 8 are completing Common Formative Tasks: short tasks related to summative assessment to find out what students know and help them progress, and Summative Assessments: the final assessment of a unit where students demonstrate the skills they have learned. With seven weeks of Term 3 left, you can support your child by checking their Assessment Schedule in Lionel. Schedules can help reduce surprises and assist your child's preparation as they know when submission deadlines, tests, oral presentations, and other assessments happen. 

For Mental Health Awareness Week, 15 - 19 May, the Wellbeing Team has organised various activities and events, including green ribbon sales and lunch workshops. Friday, May 19th, is a casual dress day with green accessories to promote mental health. Proceeds will go to our four charities. 

Have a great weekend and we wish a Happy Mother's Day to all our Year 8 Mother's and Caregivers.

Year 9 Message

Year 9 Maths/Science/WIN Pathways Students and parents will receive an e-mail after school today setting out the available pathways for them next year. The pathways will be familiar to students as they have discussed this with their subject teachers. Your child can discuss the available pathways with you over the weekend. Students will be given a hard copy of the available pathways during tutor time at the start of next week. Students will bring this home, indicate their choice on this card copy and return it. An information session will be offered for parents Tuesday 16th May at 4.00 pm. Year 9 parents will receive the online link next week. If you have any questions or want to talk more about pathways, the information session is the opportunity. The deadline for returning the completed form is Monday, 22nd May.

We are working on the Year 9 MYP Community Project Assessment and Exhibition and Year 9 Graduation Ceremony for students, teachers and parents. Please save the date in your calendars for the afternoon of 12 June 2023, 3.30 pm - 5.30 pm. We are excited to share more information about this event with the broader community soon. 

Today was the deadline for handing in forms for the Year 9 Ocean Park trip. Please ask your child to hand them into the Year 8/9 Office if they haven’t yet done so. We have received confirmation that the trip date is Monday 26th June. All students will leave Ocean Park together at 4.00 pm.  

For Mental Health Awareness Week, 15 - 19 May, the Wellbeing Team has organised various activities and events, including green ribbon sales and lunch workshops. Friday, May 19th, is a casual dress day with green accessories to promote mental health. Proceeds will go to our four charities. 

Have a great weekend, and we wish a Happy Mother's Day to all our Year 8 Mother's and Caregivers.

Mental Health Awareness Week: Understanding the theme of Anxiety.

Mental health is essential to our overall wellbeing, yet it can often be overlooked and stigmatised. Did you know that anxiety affects 1 in 3 teenagers? This is why Mental Health Awareness Week, with the theme of Anxiety, running from May 15th to May 21st, is an important opportunity for us to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and promote good mental health practices.

Our school is committed to supporting our students' mental health and wellbeing. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we have planned events and activities to promote mental health awareness and provide opportunities for students to learn about and engage in self-care practices.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear experienced as a combination of physical sensations, thoughts, and feelings. While everyone will feel anxious sometimes, anxiety can become a problem when these feelings don’t pass, and one feels constantly anxious, overwhelmed, and distressed, even in previously enjoyable situations. Anxiety can manifest in many ways, including withdrawal and avoidance, irritability and lashing out, trouble concentrating, and sleep problems.

If you're a parent or caregiver, it's crucial to understand how to support your child's mental health. Here are some tips for helping your child manage their anxious feelings:

• Please encourage them to talk about their anxieties. Just talking about what makes them anxious can reduce your child's anxiety. Acknowledge their feelings and let them know you’re confident they can handle it. For example, your child might be anxious about passing an exam. Let them know you understand how they feel, but you’re sure they’ll do their best, and that’s the most important thing.

• Encourage brave behaviour. Please encourage your child to set small goals for things they feel anxious about. Avoid pushing your child to face situations they don’t feel ready to face but praise them for doing something they feel anxious about, no matter how small it is.

• Help your child develop positive coping strategies. Encourage your child to use positive self-talk, self-compassion, and assertiveness. Practising relaxation techniques, regular exercise, and seeking professional help when needed, can also be helpful.

Mental Health Awareness Week reminds us that mental health is critical to our overall health and well-being. By raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting good mental health practices, we can help our students thrive.

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
We wish all our students doing IB exams plain sailing through the process, and best of luck to our BTEC students on completing their coursework.

• 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.

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 out to their individual H.E. Counsellor before the end of May.
• Higher Education Presentation Series. The H.E presentation series started a couple of weeks ago.  So far, we have covered: UK apps., Personal Statement, HK apps, Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry & Vet.  Upcoming topics: USA apps, USA Personal Essay, Canada apps, Non-mainstream, UCAS setup, and Summer Action Plan.  Detailed presentation schedule is shared to all Y12 students via their H.E. Google Classrooms.
• Y12 – Parent presentation on Wednesday, 28 Jun (via Zoom).  This session for our Y12 parents on how the Careers & H.E. Team supports our students and students’ action plan over the summer break. The meeting link will be emailed to all Y12 parents on the morning of 28 Jun.

KGV School References – All KGV students
The KGV Careers Office is coordinating all references (except extension/gifted & talented programmes) 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.

Planning for the summer?
If you are looking at enrichment programmes over the summer break, Our Careers website has a long list of programmes listed.  That would be a good starter for ideas.

University Events on the KGV Careers Calendar list known H.E. events.  KGV is not responsible for the quality of any external events.  All information is subject to change by event organisers.

Highlight of upcoming events:

Unifrog Webinars (Student login to Unifrog required.)
15-16 May: Managing Your Wellbeing During Exams

U.K.
25 May: BridgeU Webinar: A Beginners Guide to UK Liberal Arts Degrees

U.S.A.
17 & 22 May: Engaging Distinctive Universities (Emory, Michigan, Rice & Washington)
19 May: College Board BigFuture Live: Pro-Tips for College Visits

Europe
20 May: Bocconi Open Day (Italy)

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

Feedback Friday with the Principal

Friday 19 May 2023, 10.30 - 11.15 am

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.

Our upcoming sessions will be on: 

-Friday 19 May 2023, 10.30-11.15 am

-Friday 16 June 2023, 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 this or other sessions this term, please sign up on this form.

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

Save the date for the Music Summer Concert which will take place on Tuesday 30th May 2023, 6 pm in the Hall. Poster/details attached and we hope that families can join us. 

For 15-19 May