Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we arrive at the end of the academic year, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on what an honour it has been to return to the KGV community. I am proud to belong to a school where every week remarkable learning experiences happen, with the ambition and dedication of our students being matched by the commitment and expertise of our staff. The Y8 Macbeth showcase and Y7 Music and Media Interdisciplinary units were two examples of the outstanding levels of creativity that exist within our community. It was also wonderful to see so many proud parents join these celebrations of learning, enabling us to end the year on a high note.

On a practical note you should have received emails that outline all the information that you need in preparation for the start of next academic year. Please take some time to read through this information with your child ahead of their return to school as this will provide everything you need to get ready. 

Your child’s reports are also available on the ESF App now. I am sure these will provide you with the opportunity to celebrate a successful year in learning and also to consider how to make next academic year even better.

Thank you for your support throughout this year, and I wish you and your family an enjoyable summer ahead.

Best wishes,

Mark Poulsum

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 Wednesday 14th August as our Year 13 Class of 2025!

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 this 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.

We hope all of our students and families have a fabulous summer!

We made it to the end of the academic year!

Congratulations to Daniel Yeung for his captivating "Liebestraum No. 3 (Love Dream)" piano performance by Franz Liszt during our final Year 8 Assembly. We also celebrate the remarkable achievement of Sean, Enzo, Michaela, and PJ, who delighted audiences with their Disney Medley Songs from "Encanto, The Little Mermaid, and Coco" that they performed at the Island School Spanish Speech Festival last week.

Also, in our final Year 8 Assembly, Mr. Mannion and Mr. Tranter led an exciting end-of-year Tutor Group Challenge that was met with enthusiastic participation. The winning tutor group was N05.

As the summer holidays approach, Year 8 students must prioritise rest. The academic demands of the school year can be mentally and physically taxing, and the holiday period provides a much-needed opportunity for students to recharge their batteries, reduce stress levels, and return to school feeling refreshed and re-energised.

In addition to rest, your child needs to engage in activities that take them away from screens. Spending time outdoors, pursuing hobbies, socialising with friends, and participating in physical activity can help students develop essential life skills, improve their mental well-being, and provide a break from the digital world. This off-screen time allows the brain to rest and recharge.

Overall, encouraging your children to prioritise rest, relaxation, play, and offline activities during the school holidays will support their academic performance, physical health, and overall development when they return to the classroom for Year 9 in August 2024.

We hope you and your family have a safe and enjoyable summer break. For those leaving KGV, we wish you all the best on your new adventures. For those returning, we look forward to seeing you when the new academic year begins.

We made it to the end of the year! 

This past Monday, we had a delightful time exploring Ocean Park. The thrilling rides provided an exhilarating experience, while the indoor areas offered a chance to cool off and enjoy the company of penguins, fish, and pandas. There was so much to see and do - it was a memorable day at the park.

Congratulations to Justin Lau for his excellent " Air " piano performance, composed by Helen Hopekirk, in our final Year 9 Assembly on Thursday.

Rest:
As Year 9 students transition to Year 10 and embark on their GCSE studies, they must rest adequately during the summer holidays. The increased academic demands of the GCSE curriculum can be mentally and physically draining. The holiday period provides a significant opportunity for your child to recharge their batteries, reduce stress levels, and return to school feeling refreshed and re-energised.

Play and Off-Screen Time:
In addition to rest, your child needs to engage in play and activities that take them away from screens. Spending time outdoors, pursuing hobbies, socialising with friends, and participating in physical activity can help students develop essential life skills, improve their mental wellbeing, and provide a much-needed break from the digital world. This off-screen time allows the brain to rest and recharge.

Overall, encouraging your child to prioritise rest, relaxation, play, and offline activities during the summer holidays will support their academic performance, physical health, and overall development as they embark on the challenges of the GCSE program. This balanced approach will ensure they return to school feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rigours of their new academic journey.

It's time for us to bid farewell as the students transition to the care of Mr. Carrell, the Vice Principal, and Mr. Fisher, the Senior Head of Year, in the Year 10 & 11 office. Ms. Gallie will move with the Year 9 students to become their Head of Year 10. This shift in leadership marks an important milestone for our students as they progress through their academic journey.

We hope you and your family have a safe and enjoyable summer break. For those leaving KGV, we wish you all the best on your new adventures. For those returning, we look forward to seeing you when the new academic year begins.

In the last two years we have watched as your children, our students, have grown in confidence, competence and ability to become capable mature young people.

We hope all our students and families have a restful break and wish them well for Year 12.

As a reminder, results days are:

• 13th August 2024 at 1 pm (Cambridge)

• 22nd August 2024 at 4 pm (Edexcel and AQA)

Cambridge and Edexcel results are accessible online through the candidate results websites, while AQA results will be emailed to students. Year 11 students were emailed the login details they need to get their results by Ms Wu on May 7th.

Semester 2 summaries were released yesterday. Parents can access them in the App by tapping the link to Lionel and then the CCF (ribbon icon). Semester summaries in Year 10 onwards are stored in the Progress Checks drawer.

Please take some time to look through the report with your child to discuss their successes and help them choose strategies and perhaps initiate habits to help them achieve their goals in Year 11. 

When we return after the break we will have a focus on option choices for Year 12 and will run a seminar for parents.

We hope you have a restful summer break with just a little encouragement for revision.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

School is out for summer!

A massive thank you from the Year 7 team for all your support this year. We have really valued our positive home-school partnership and are so proud of our Year 7 students. They finish the year as confident, kind and independent young people who are definitely ready to face the opportunities Year 8 will bring.

Mrs Murphy will be your Vice Principal link next year and will be in touch at the start of the academic year. The first day for Year 8 students is Thursday 15th August. You should have received parent information to help you start the next academic year strong. You also should have access to your child's academic report.

Hope you all have a lovely summer and get the opportunity to spend time making memories with your family.

Best wishes and take care. 

The Year 7 Team.

Careers & H.E. Guidance

Have a good summer break

Careers & H.E. Office Summer 2024 – Office Hours. Link here.

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

Year 13

- Exit Procedures. Presentation is shared on Google Classroom, including details for Final Transcript Collection Day: 10 July, 0800-1500 @ KGV Careers Office.

- IBO Result Service. It is a service provided by IB to send final results directly to the institution(s) students have chosen. It is necessary for IB students to sign up to this service so that their final IB results will be delivered directly by IBO to the higher institutions as soon as results are released. This ensures no delay in securing offers. Deadline to make a request via our Exam Office was 24 May 2024. If students have missed this deadline, they should get in touch with the Exam Office <exam@kgv.edu.hk> immediately.

- If students plan to take a gap year or apply to Australia after graduation, we would appreciate it if they can inform their HE Counsellors about their plans so that we can support them when it’s time for them to make their applications.

Year 12
- Summer Action Plan. Our HE Team has presented the Summer Action Plan to our Y12 students a couple of weeks ago. The same presentation was also emailed to all Y12 parents.

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

- Y12 action points given by HE Counsellors. These are shared on student’s own Evidence page. Students should refer to these action points when they do the H.E. research over the Summer break. A copy of the Summer Action Plan presentation has been emailed to all Y12 parents.

- Y12 H.E. presentation series. We have completed all H.E.-related presentations. All presentations are shared with students via Google Classroom.

Parents’ Support for KGV Careers Fair and Careers Exposure
The Careers Office organises various opportunities for our students to explore careers options. The annual September Careers Fair and various work experiences are some of them. These could not have happened without our wonderful parent’s support. We are hoping to introduce more opportunities for our students.

For parents who would like to collaborate with KGV, please take two minutes to complete this form here. Our team will get in touch with you to discuss further the opportunities that you may bring to community.

We truly appreciate your support. Thank you!

Enrichment/Summer Programmes
- Our Careers website has a page that lists known opportunities by region. Check this page for ideas.
- KGV does not take responsibility for the content or quality of external events and courses.
- If students need school references to support their application to enrichment/summer programmes, they should email careers.office@kgv.edu.hk. Our normal lead time for teachers to work on recommendations is 4-6 working weeks.

KGV Careers Calendar
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.

Events at KGV: Stay tuned for more details in the new school year.
12 Sep: ESF University Fair @ KGV, 09.30-12.30
23 Sep: KGV Careers Fair 2024

Hong Kong
29 Jun: HK IVE Hospitality “Fun Day 2024”
15 Jul: HKU LKS Faculty of Medicine Public Lecture – “Future of Anti-Cancer Therapy”

UK
6 Jul: British Council Pre-departure briefing (English)
6 Jul: The University of Law Summer Legal Workshops (in HK)
18 Jul: British Council Pre-departure briefing (Facebook live)
18 Aug: British Council Pre-departure briefing (Cantonese)

USA
Jun-Aug, various dates: UC Santa Barbara Virtual Presentations for Future Freshman Applicants

New Zealand
1 Aug: Massey University Open Day – International Virtual

Japan
July, various dates: Ritsumeikan University Sample Lectures

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

Congratulations to Adam Park on passing the Cheung Do Kwan Black Belt Test! He's now a certified Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Academy) Black Belt Dan 2. This impressive achievement showcases his dedication and mastery of the martial art. Well done!

Inspiring words from renowned writer and chef Michael Rosenblum @chefmichaelrosenblum during his visit to KGV. His insights on the path to success resonated deeply with our students.

Rou Zhou (Year 12) writes about her experience below: "On 24th June, some Y10 and Y12 Chinese students had the privilege of hearing from renowned writer and food anthropologist, Michael Rosenblum. An award-winning chef, and Tsinghua University graduate, what struck me was not his eloquence in Mandarin, nor his extraordinary achievements, but the frank and down-to-earth manner in which Mr. Rosenblum communicated with us. We gleaned insights into the struggles he had encountered in his path to success, alongside his human battles with inadequacy. Coming from such a household name, it was reassuring to learn Mr. Rosenblum shared our very same anxieties. Yet he was able to ultimately make a place for himself through his undying perseverance, and recognition of his inherent self-worth. Mr. Rosenblum’s words encouraged me, and he ended things on a hopeful, inspiring note, “it’s okay to not be the best, as long as you become the best version of yourself that you can be.”

School Calendar 2024-25