Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you to all our parents and guardians for your support during this academic year. Your impact on student learning is powerful! Parenting is one of the most rewarding and challenging ‘jobs’ you can have, and your unrelenting support for ‘your child, our student’ and your active involvement in our school is greatly valued and appreciated.

Enjoying a full year of face-to-face learning since 2019 has been fantastic! Our students have loved engaging in learning inside and outside the classroom. Our house spirit is alive and well, with our students engaging in the smorgasbord of activities that make the KGV experience unique.

We are determined to improve our school for the community and students we serve. We are still ambitious about the school’s future and to work hard to maintain a culture of continuous improvement and be an adaptive organisation that evolves and responds to the needs of our students and the broader community. Our primary focus is always about placing student needs first so we can provide an environment where every student can ‘be their own remarkable’.

A reminder that:

• All parents received an ESF App message indicating that students' end-of-year academic reports are available. We hope these reports provide a comprehensive summary of your son or daughter's learning achievement and progress.
• Years 7, 10, 12 and all new students to KGV start on Wednesday, 16th August
• All students then attend on Thursday, 17th August (Years 8, 9, 11 and 13 attending for the first time.
• Please find our ESF KGV School Calendar here.

Even though I am taking on a new job as Director of Education, I will be back for the start of Term 1 until we can find a replacement. We wish all our students, parents, staff, and community partners a wonderful summer break, and we look forward to welcoming all our students for another exciting year of learning in August.

Take care and stay safe.

Mark Blackshaw,

Principal, KGV School

Year 10 Message

We hope you enjoy a well-deserved summer break. It is important for students to get some down-time over the summer so they return with energy for what will be a challenging year as Year 11 students. 

Year 10 reports are available in Lionel now. Go to the CCF (ribbon icon) link and expand the Progress Checks drawer. I hope this provides good material for discussions at home.

The first day back for Year 11 will be Thursday August 17th. The day starts and finishes as normal at 8.15 and 3.20pm. 

Going into Year 11, students will stay in the same tutor group and will keep the same teachers for most of their subjects where the timetable allows this to happen. There is no change to uniform. 

In Year 11, there will be a focus on careful revision to ensure students are prepared for their mock examinations in January and final (I)GCSE exams in May and June.

Year 12 Message

We would like to thank all of our Year 12 students and families for your support this year and wish all of you a very restful break.

We look forward to welcoming back our students on Thursday 17th August as our Year 13 Class of 2024!

A reminder that The KGV School second semester report for your child is available in Lionel now. To access the report please use the ESF App. In the app, go to Lionel and then the CCF (ribbon icon). Find the report in the Progress Checks drawer. The report is a pdf that may display or download depending on your device.

The report is created on the fly when you click the link. Any errors or omissions can be corrected, although note that we will be on summer break from Friday afternoon and can follow up in August if necessary.

We hope that this report provides you with a clear summary of the progress of your child and serves as an opportunity to discuss achievements and goals with them.

Year 8 Message

Seeing so many parents attend the Year 8 English Creative Projects in response to William Shakespeare's Macbeth on Tuesday was encouraging. There was a wide variety of artistic and creative talent on display using various mediums, from animation and Lego to clay and dioramas. Students were enthusiastic about presenting their work, justifications, and learnings to students from other classes to staff and parents.

In this week's assemblies, we have celebrated students who have met the highest attendance standards and punctuality and are wearing the correct uniform. We look forward to starting Day 1 of the next academic year with these KGV expectations in place and our students feeling motivated to strive for these certificates.

The Middle Years Programme Summative and Subject Assessment Reports for Semester Two are available through Lionel. Please take the time to read through, discuss and celebrate your child’s report with them.

Now it is time for the summer break! Summer breaks are vital for students, offering a much-needed break from academic pressures and a chance to rejuvenate. There is an opportunity for creativity, exploration, and experiential learning. Participating in fun activities over the break enhances social skills, emotional intelligence, and physical health. Summer breaks also teach young people the importance of balance between study/work and relaxation, contributing to overall wellbeing.

We wish you and your family a healthy, safe and happy summer break. If your family is leaving KGV and Hong Kong, we wish you all the best for the future. For returning families, we look forward to seeing ‘your child, our student’ on 17 August 2023 for the new academic year.

Year 9 Message

Students had a great day celebrating their completion of the MYP at Ocean Park on Monday. There were sounds of laughter and terror throughout the park, with the air-conditioned aquarium and other animal enclosures providing much-needed air-conditioned relief for all. Our congratulations to all Year 9 students for completing their MYP programme. We know the students are keen to take on the challenge of Year 10 and IGCSE, and the Year 8-9 Team's best wishes go with them.  

In this week's assemblies, we have celebrated students who have met the highest attendance standards and punctuality and are wearing the correct uniform. We look forward to starting Day 1 of the next academic year with these KGV expectations in place and our students feeling motivated to meet these expectations.  

The Middle Years Programme Summative and Subject Assessment Reports for Semester Two are available through Lionel. Please take the time to read through, discuss and celebrate your child’s report with them.

Now it is time for the summer break! Summer breaks are vital for students, offering a much-needed break from academic pressures and a chance to rejuvenate. There is an opportunity for creativity, exploration, and experiential learning. Participating in fun activities over the break enhances social skills, emotional intelligence, and physical health. Summer breaks also teach young people the importance of balance between study/work and relaxation, contributing to overall wellbeing.

We wish you and your families a healthy, safe and happy summer break. If your family is leaving KGV and Hong Kong, we wish you all the best for the future. For returning families, we look forward to seeing ‘your child, our student,’ on Wednesday, 16 August 2023, for the start of Year 10 and the new academic year.

Year 11 Message

We hope you enjoy a long and well-deserved summer break.

If you are returning to KGV for Year 12, remember to purchase senior school uniform over the summer. The first day back at KGV will be Wednesday, August 16th. This will be an induction day where students learn about the requirements of CAS and other core elements of their BTEC or DP subjects.

(I)GCSE results will be available in August. Students need to login to Cambridge and Edexcel to get their results. Ms Wu sent them an email on May 8th with login details for these.

Cambridge results are released online on August 16th at 1 pm.
Edexcel results are released online on August 24th at 3.30 pm.
AQA results will be emailed directly to students on August 24th after 3.30 pm.

Year 7 Message

We did it! Year 7 completed!

Today we held our final Year 7 assembly and congratulated the students for their outstanding achievements across the year. They have been an amazing bunch!

A reminder that the Middle Years Programme Summative and Subject Assessment Reports for Semester Two are available through Lionel. Please take the time to read through, discuss and celebrate your child’s report with them.

On behalf of the Year 7 team, we would like to thank you all for your support across this year. We have valued your feedback and have been grateful for your willingness to form effective home-school partnerships. Whilst Conor Mannion will remain with your child as their Head of Year for Year 8, Sean Miller, Quinton Wrigley, and Carole Beer will remain in the Year 7 team and take on the new challenges and opportunities with the next Year 7 cohort.

Wishing you all a great summer. We hope you find the time to relax, recharge and regroup as a family. I know many students have summer camps and a whole range of social, sporting, and creative opportunities ahead of them. We hope you make the most of learning in a different context.

For those of our families leaving us at the end of this term, we wish you all the best of luck in the future. For those coming back for Year 8, your first day of school is Thursday 17th August. More details are to be found in the End of Term information email.

Happy Holidays.

KGV Lions Chess

The launch of the KGV Lions Chess Program was an exciting development for the school and its students. Chess is a game that requires strategic thinking, problem-solving, and a high level of concentration, making it an excellent activity for developing cognitive skills and intellectual abilities. By introducing a chess program, KGV Lions provided our students with an opportunity to develop these skills while also fostering a sense of community and camaraderie amongst its members.

KGV collaborated with Scholastic Chess HK, an organisation founded by KGV Alumni, Benjamin Chui (https://www.scholasticchess.hk).  The purpose of Scholastic Chess is to promote international chess in Hong Kong, and to bring the benefits of chess to students in Hong Kong. Through this collaboration, we have begun developing a  level of expertise in the club and with their support, manage the KGV on-campus Chess Program, with school tournaments, and school lessons. 

To conclude the pilot program, the KGV Lions chess leaders: Anjaneya Kakkar, Kwan Yin Lai and Isaac Lam organised a small tournament to celebrate the excellent work they had achieved with this pilot program.

The winners were:

• 1st place: Alvin Lam (Year 11)
• 2nd place: Ryan Chung (Year 8)
• 3rd place: Aarav Kothari (Year 8)

I look forward to the KGV Lions Chess program launching in Term 1 next year and the continued collaboration with Scholastic Chess HK. 

Dean Beard

CAS, Service Learning and Activities Coordinator

CAS Activity Program 2022/2023
 

Now is a perfect time to reflect and celebrate the amazing CAS program and student participation at KGV. Following a challenging start of the year, navigating the post-COVID restrictions, it has been wonderful to see students embracing the many different activities on offer. CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) is an integral part of our school's curriculum, providing students with opportunities to develop their skills, interests, and talents beyond the classroom.

We are proud of the exceptional commitment and dedication that our students have shown towards these programs. They have demonstrated their willingness to learn, grow, and challenge themselves through a diverse range of activities, including sports, music, drama, volunteering, and community service. This year, I am proud to say we were able to offer over 250 different CAS activities and had upwards of 1400 students taking part.

The benefits of participating in CAS are immense. Our students have developed leadership skills, built resilience, and learned the importance of teamwork, responsibility, and accountability. They have also gained a deeper understanding of themselves, their strengths, and their areas for improvement.

We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the students who have participated in the CAS program. Your commitment and perseverance have been truly inspiring. We also want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our teachers, coaches, and mentors who have supported and guided our students throughout their journey.

We look forward to seeing our students continue to flourish and succeed in their future endeavours, knowing that the skills and values they have gained through the CAS program will serve them well in all aspects of their lives.

Details about next year’s program will be communicated at the start of the academic year, but I am confident the number of opportunities for students will continue to grow.

Have a great summer!

Mr Beard and the CAS Team

KGV Sporting Stories

Final newsletter

The Girls' Tennis team had a celebratory shared lunch this week. This team is captained and organised by Isabella Cagliarini and has been training during Tuesday lunchtimes. The team was self-coached and organised this year, and their dedication and passion for tennis are appreciated. Next year we will have an external coach come and work with the group, so they can continue their tennis development with some expertise there to help.

KGV Sports Awards

The KGV Sports Awards took place recently across assemblies at school. It was great to recognise the students and their achievements this year as we finally had a return to school sport. The following students received awards.

Year 7

D Grade Sports Team of the Year - U12 Volleyball

Year 7 Sportsperson of the Year Finalists

The winner of Year 7 Sportsperson of the Year was Param Mehta.
 

Years 8 and 9

Year 9 Sportsperson of the Year Finalists

Years 10 and 11

B grade Sports Team of the year was - Boys B Grade Rugby

Year 10 Sportsperson of the Year finalists

Hitomi Mao

Sumukh Diwakar

Divina Bahrunani

Ryan Schroder

The winner of Year 10 Sportsperson of the Year was Oliver Fisher
 

Year 11 Sportsperson of the Year Finalists

Devansh Punjabi

Sadie Casey

Emily Fisher

The winner of Year 11 Sportsperson of the Year was Anjika Gurung

Years 12 and 13

The A grade team of the year was U20 Girls Volleyball

Year 12 Sportsperson of the Year Finalists

Pranav Mahtani

Rhin Choe

Olivia Rigby

Danielle Leung

The winner of Year 12 Sportsperson of the Year was Yoshi Chan

Year 13 Sportsperson of the Year Finalists

Sophie Hall

Vianca Ng

Olivia Warner

Josh Bailey

The winner of Year 13 Sportsperson of the Year was Scarlett Casey

The following students also receive Excellence awards for their efforts and positive involvement in their sport:

Well done to all our winners! We look forward to seeing everyone back out representing KGV in our brand new KGV Sports Kit in the new year!

Thank You, Coaches!

On Wednesday, 28th June, the Sports and CAS team hosted a thank you BBQ for all our sports coaches. This was a way for us to thank them for all the time and effort they put into helping our students develop their skills and participate in sports. With no coaches, sports would not be able to run. So on behalf of the entire student body, we would like to say thank you!

Careers & H.E. Guidance

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

The Careers Office will be open intermittently during summer break. Please email us if assistance is needed from the Team.

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

Year 13

• KGV Final Transcript Collection Day: 7 July, 08.00-15.00 at the Careers Office.
• Keep close communication with HE Counsellors.
• Official IB Diploma & BTEC Certificates: Look out for correspondence from our Exam Office.

Year 12

• Higher Education Presentation Series. We have covered: UK apps., Personal Statement, HK apps, Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry & Vet, USA apps, USA Personal Essay, Canada apps, Non-mainstream and UCAS setup. The last presentation of the series is on Summer Action Plan. All presentations can be found on google classroom.

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 Application Masterclasses, 20-27 Jun. Student login to Unifrog required.

H.K.
8 Jul: Summer Law Carnival by The University of Law

U.K.
5 Jul: UCL Virtual Info Session on BSc Information in Society (new course)
6-7 Jul: Cambridge Undergraduate Open Days
9 Jul, 20 Jul & 12 Aug: British Council Pre-departure briefing in summer
12 Jul: Loughborough University International Experience Day
5 Aug: University of Bath: Support your child: Accommodation & Student support panel discussion

Japan
9 Jul++: Ritsumeikan University Mock Lectures Series

Canada
13 Jul++: Toronto Metropolitan University Information Series

Hope everyone gets time to rejuvenate for a new school year. See you in August.

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

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.

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

Student Health Service

Message from Department of Health - Student Health Service

This academic year the student health service was offered to Years 7, 8 and 9 only.  However, we received appointment slips for Year 7 students only.  The Student Health Service department has provided this letter to explain that they are unable to offer appointments to our Year 8 and 9 students. 

As we approach the summer break, it's important to remember that mental health should still be a priority for our students. While summer is typically a time for relaxation and fun, it can also be stressful and anxious for some students. With that in mind, I'd like to share some tips on supporting your child's mental health over the summer months.

1. Encourage a Balanced Schedule: While it's important for students to have fun and enjoy their break, it's equally important to maintain a balanced schedule. Please encourage your child to participate in activities that are both fun and beneficial for their mental health, such as spending time outdoors, exercising, or pursuing a hobby they enjoy.

2. Open Communication: Encourage your child to communicate openly with you about their feelings and emotions. Please check in with your child regularly and be a supportive listener when they need to talk.

3. Limit Screen Time: While it's tempting for students to spend their entire summer break on their phones, computers, or other devices, excessive screen time can negatively affect mental health. You can encourage your child to take breaks from technology and engage in other activities instead.

4. Manage Expectations: Summer break can often create pressure to accomplish specific goals or expectations. Encourage your child to set realistic goals and expectations for themselves and remind them that it's okay if they don't accomplish everything they set out to do.

5. Seek Professional Help: If your child struggles with mental health, don't hesitate to seek professional help. Many resources are available, including your community's therapists, counsellors, and mental health clinics. CHP mental health services.

CHP mental health services

Support available for students in Hong Kong Summer 2023

Remember, mental health is just as important as physical health, and it's important to prioritise both. These tips can help support your child's mental health and ensure a happy and healthy summer break.

Tanya Tayal

Senior School Counsellor

School Offices Summer Hours

Reception Office opens from 1 July to 15 August from 8 am - 3 pm:

Mondays - Thursdays open On-site.

Fridays are Off-Site: Please call 27113029 or email office@kgv.edu.hk .

KGV Shop is closed in July, and reopens from 1 August to 15 August from 9 am - 3 pm.