Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you have enjoyed a good week. Today was our first Learning Review day, and I am sure these would have provided important insights to the progress of your child and what they need to do in their next steps of learning. I understand that it may have been difficult for some parents to book appointments with all the teachers they would like to meet, and we are currently looking at options to resolve this issue. More information will be shared soon.

It is at this time of year that we start to transition between our student prefect teams. With this in mind, I am delighted to announce that after a highly competitive and robust process, Sasha Sing and Maeve Morrison will be our new Head Prefects for next academic year. I am sure they will continue with the long tradition of KGV Head Prefects being outstanding role models and representatives of our student community. 

Next week will also bring great excitement with the performance of Elf. A huge thank you to Ian Baker, Alex Carlile and the rest of their team for bringing together what I am sure will be a wonderful event. Tickets are still available if you would like to join us.

We also have Sports Day coming up soon. Unfortunately, we are not able to hold this event at an external venue, but will instead host it at KGV. There will also be a new date of 13th December, and all students should wear PE kit on the day. We will share further details regarding the arrangements in due course.

Finally, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to share my appreciation for the ongoing support that the parent community provides to KGV. It makes a big difference. Have an enjoyable weekend ahead.

Best regards,

Mark Poulsum

We hope that our Year 12 and 13 students and families have availed of the opportunity to connect and receive feedback today from our teachers.

The Year 12 & 13 Team would like to congratulate Maeve Morrison and Sasha Sing on their recent appointments as our new KGV Head Prefects for next calendar year. We know they will do an amazing job and continue to provide superb guidance and leadership to our KGV community in all that they do. They will be supported by an outstanding prefect team, and more details of this team will be shared soon.

Our KGV Sports Day for Years 10-13 will be held on the KGV field, and our new date is 13th December.

Wishing you a great weekend.

In our 14th week of Term 1, our Year 8 and 9 students are preparing for and participating in upcoming end-of-term activities, including ‘Elf  - The Musical’, the Evening of Music & Dance, Sports Day and the KGV Winter Fair. Good luck to all Year 8 & 9 students involved in these activities. If your child is not directly involved, encourage them to support their classmates by attending the events and cheering them on. The final three weeks of term are shaping to be fun and productive! 

It is the time of year when your child may talk to you about their subject assessments. Once subject assessments are completed, marked, and moderated by teachers across the subject departments, your child's assessment data will be available on Lionel CCF. This process can take up to two weeks. You will receive a notification email once your child's grades are uploaded. Regularly checking the CCF for new data is optional, as it will alert you. 

With extra layers of uniform worn due to the cooler weather, we now have large piles of lost property items. Please check that all your child's belongings are named to promote accountability, organisation, independence, respect for property, and a sense of ownership. Teaching your child to care for their belongings teaches them organisation and respect, habits essential for their growth and development and preparation for their future responsibilities. 

MYP Approaches to Learning (ATL) Focus for our Parent Newsletter: Self-Management Skills - Stress Reduction

Feeling relaxed is about finding life balance. Being relaxed will help you develop a positive attitude, which improves learning and enjoyment. 

There are many ways to lead a balanced life and reduce any tension and stress you might feel. 

Sleeping well: 

• have a minimum 8 hours every night, as your body needs this to re-energise.

• at least 30 minutes before bed, stop using any technology, resist the temptation to use any device and have a technology-free bedroom. 

Eating well:

• eat a balanced diet with lots of fresh vegetables

• a good breakfast daily; you need to fuel your body, or you’ll feel tired tired

Being organised: 

• plan out and prioritise tasks; this way, you won’t feel rushed

• stick to your home learning timetable

Exercising regularly: 

• exercise is a workout for your body and mind, increasing your fitness and improving your brain function

Learning to relax: 

• find leisure activities you enjoy, making them a mix of outdoor and indoor activities 

Sharing and discussing problems:

• your Team will always support you, so use their collective experience

Persevere until you achieve your goals. It’s a fabulous feeling when you achieve that special something. 

Additional Actions for Parents:

Ask your child what two things they will do to reduce their stress levels. 

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We hope you found the conversations informative today and came away being able to praise your child as well as have targets for learning going forward. We recognize that some of you were not able to access all your child’s teachers. We are currently looking at options for us to address this.  Thank you for your patience on this matter.

We have three weeks left of the term! These final weeks have several opportunities for you to enjoy some of the creative aspects of our community. Next week we will be presenting our KGV Musical Production, ELF. Year 7 students have been invited to a matinee performance of the musical on Friday, 1st December but there are still a few tickets available should you wish to come along and see it. December 6th is our KGV Evening of Music and Dance, at 6pm. Our students are currently choreographing and rehearsing in school for what is always an excellent evening. Students can purchase tickets starting next Wednesday.

Friday 8th December is our Winter Festival. Look out  for further details in this newsletter.

I emailed Year 7 students this afternoon about arrangements for Period 3 on Monday. Please ask them to check their emails to see if lesson changes for this time affect them.

Finally, please ask your child to check lost property for their missing items. There is quite a stash of clothing, water bottles, stationery etc. Please remind students to use their lockers to store valuables.

Have a lovely weekend.

In assembly this week our head counsellor Rashmi Srinivas spoke to students at length about stress and exams and the services our counselling team offer to support students.

Stress is something that affects students in year 10 and 11 because it is the first time they have faced external examinations. It is very important that we work closely as families and staff to ensure that students keep their schoolwork in perspective and understand that internal assessments are only to provide feedback and to help them learn material and prepare for exams at the end of Year 11.

If you see signs of anxiety or feel that your child is under pressure, please reach out to their tutor or classroom teacher.

Today we have been very busy with Learning review meetings online. These continue on Monday afternoon once school has finished and then again all day on Tuesday December 5th.

Next week we have the school musical production of ELF, families are welcome to come along Wed, Thu or Friday nights. Tickets are on sale in the foyer each day.

Elf The Musical

For those of you who still want to buy tickets for the show next week, they will remain on sale, at lunchtime, in the school foyer. They are selling fast and we expect them to be all sold by Wednesday. Your child can purchase your tickets for you from our box office team at $50 each.

We promise you a top-quality, great, fun, family, high-energy, Christmas show.

A reminder of the dates:

Wednesday 29th November, 7.00 pm

Thursday 30th November, 7.00 pm

Friday 1st, December, 7.00 pm

We look forward to seeing you at our performance

The Elf Production Team

All CAS activities will be cancelled on Monday, 27 November, due to the learning reviews.

KGV Winter Festival

KGV and PTSA cordially invite you and your family to embrace the season's spirit at the Winter Festival on Friday, 8 December, from 5 - 8 pm.

On the day, you will be impressed by our fantastic Winter Concert in the Hall. You can also enjoy the festival ambience as brilliant young performers take the outdoor stage. Take your time strolling through the field and driveway exploring 50+ stalls from students, parents and external vendors. And don’t forget the food court by the piazza, where a range of flavours awaits.

We extend our welcome not only to KGV families and friends but also to other ESF schools. Please spread the word, join us and share the joy with us!

For more information on the event please email the Engagement Manager at michelle.tsang@kgv.edu.hk .

School References

School reference (non-higher education purposes) (Link to policy on Lionel)

The KGV Careers Office coordinates all our student references including exit & summer schools.

For students’ privacy, parents must give KGV their permission to release their child’s reference to a specific list of schools they are applying to.  KGV only liaise directly with those schools with parents' permission.

All requests should be directed to careers.office@kgv.edu.hk. Please allow at least 4-6 work weeks for teachers to work on school references. School references for higher education applications are done in a separate process.

If students are pursuing gifted and talented programmes outside of KGV, they should contact Mr. Krishin Hotwani directly.

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

Careers & H.E. Guidance

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

Cambridge Visit (Prof. Nicola Clayton) @ KGV, 30 Nov, Thu, 5pm

KGV has the pleasure to welcome Prof. Nicola Clayton (FRS, Fellow of the Royal Society, Professor of Comparative Cognition, University of Cambridge, Fellow, Clare College, University of Cambridge). She will be sharing information about the Cambridge education model, the admission process, and what a Cambridge interview would be like. This is perfectly timed since Cambridge interviews are coming up.

Date: 30 November 2023, Thursday
Time: 5pm
Venue: Guilford Lecture Theatre, King George V School

KGV’s Y12 and Y13 students and parents can sign up at this registration form. Priority is given to Y13s. Students and parents should register separately as only 1 seat is given per registration.  Successful registrations will receive a confirmation from the Careers Office before event day.

Year 13
Y13 students should stay in communication with their counsellors and keep up to date with google classroom for materials and announcements.

Year 12
Students are welcome to find us in the Year 12-13 Office, if they would like any help from the Careers & H.E. Team.

Google Classrooms. Our HE Team has set up Google Classrooms for Y12 students for communication on higher education issues.

Check our KGV Careers Calendar for known H.E. events. Some highlighted events are:

KGV is not responsible for the quality of any external events. All information is subject to change by event organisers.

Visit @ KGV (Lunch Break @ SSC1-2, Students only)
28 Nov: Newcastle University

U.K.
27 Nov: University of Bath – Supporting your child’s UCAS application for courses starting in 2024
Various dates in Nov: Bangor University Webinar Series
6 Dec: Applying to the Faculty of Brain Sciences Undergraduate Courses
9 Dec: University of Law Christmas Legal Workshops (in Hong Kong)
12 Dec: University of Sussex – Law Sample Lecture

U.S.
6 Dec: EducationUSA: Affordable Options in US Higher Education
Various dates in Nov: Minerva University Virtual Events
Various dates in Nov: UCLA Undergraduate Virtual Admission Info Session
Various dates in Nov: UCSB Virtual Presentations for Future Freshman Applicants

Europe
27 Nov: The Liberal Arts & Sciences: University Colleges in the Netherlands
2 Dec: Sciences Po Virtual Undergraduate Open House Day

Japan
30 Nov: Japan University Day (in Hong Kong)
7 Dec: Ritsumeikan APU Online Infor Session

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

KGV Sporting Stories

A huge congratulations to Chloe Chiu who competed in the Inline Freestyle World Championships in Shanghai, China. In this competition there were 160 competitors from 22 countries competing. This was the first World Championships that Chloe has competed in representing Hong Kong and she achieved the following results:
5th in Free Jump (women open)
7th in Inline Freestyle Slide (women open)
10th in Speed Slalom (junior women)

These are amazing results for a year 9 student considering her age competing against some of the best inline athletes in the world.

Chloe also competed in the 19th Asian Roller Skating Championships in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province during term break where she achieved the following results;
4th in Free Jump (women open)
8th in Battle Slide (women open)

Fantastic results and achievements from Chloe and we are sure her status in inline skating will continue to grow and we look forward to seeing her continued progress.

We are proud of our A-grade men’s rugby team, who finished as runners up in the Bill Williams Rugby 7s competition. Captain Joseph Tranter led by example, with fantastic performances from the likes of Fritz Mahn and Joseph Ryan. Hong Kong u20s cricketer Samad Khan pulled on a rugby jersey for only the second time and put in a fantastic performance, ending as top try scorer! Well done to the whole squad, many of whom have committed time to a new sport and now have something to show for their efforts.

Join ESF in supporting the Weez Walk 2024

I am proud to share the news that ESF is an official supporting organisation of the Weez Walk 2024. This annual fundraising event is close to the heart of our community as it was set up in memory of Jamie Bruno, one of our students. Jamie took his own life in 2017 when he was 15 years old, and his parents founded the Weez Walk to raise awareness about the warning signs of a potential suicide to help prevent tragedy. The event name is also a tribute to Jamie, who loved street art and used "Weez" as his graffiti art signature. The Weez Walk route follows the 60km coastal trail around Hong Kong Island and can be completed in one go or many shorter stages during the event period, from 20 January until 25 February. Registration is now open with a special discount before 30 November. All proceeds will fund the suicide prevention programme of youth services charity KELY Support Group. Let's show our full support and help make this event a huge success. You can sign up here.