Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I hope you and your family are staying safe and well during this T8. I recognise that moving to online learning brings challenges but we are committed to ensuring a continuity of learning for your child. I would like to take this opportunity to share my appreciation to the KGV teachers for adapting their lessons so that students can continue to make progress. 

There are so many factors that make KGV a truly magical and remarkable place. The heritage of our House competitions is one of these, with the sense of belonging that comes from being part of Crozier, Nightingale, Rowell or Upsdell. The Swim Gala on Monday is one of our signature events, and I am sure this will be a memorable occasion where the spirit of KGV comes to the forefront. Please check that your child is aware of the arrangement for Swim Gala, which can be found in the student bulletin.

As well as heritage, ambition is a cornerstone of KGV. By creating the best educational experience possible for all students, it opens up so many pathways for future success. This will be evident when we welcome over 130 universities to KGV on Thursday for our annual ESF KGV University Fair. I am sure our Y11 to Y13 students and parents will find this a supportive and insightful experience, and I would like to thank our wonderful Higher Education team for putting this event together.

Take care, stay safe and have a good weekend ahead.

Best regards,

Mark Poulsum

Year 12 & 13 Message

Last week in our Year 12 & 13 assembly The Wellbeing Team presented the Wellbeing Support available to students at KGV. Please see the link below and discuss with your child the support available to them.

Wellbeing Presentation

All Y12 students taking the IB Diploma or studying for any IB Courses will be taking the ALIS computer adaptive test in school on 10th and 11th September during Period 1. Crozier and Nightingale students will be Tuesday 10th September and Rowell & Upsdell will be on the 11th September.

ALIS is a baseline assessment provided by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM), a research centre at the University of Durham, UK. ALIS is an innovative assessment which adapts the level of its questions to suit the responses given by the student. Unfortunately, the ALIS test currently does not assess against potential performance in BTEC subjects. The computer test will last less than 1h15m. Please see the details regarding date and venue below:

Remarks:

1. Candidates should bring their own fully charged laptop and a pen to the venue.

2. Please note that calculators must not be used during the assessment.

3. Students should arrive the venue 10 mins before the test starts. Random seating.

ALIS results will be used in school to:

• Identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses in order to inform teaching and learning

• Identify students who may be underachieving

• Monitor academic progress according to a student’s individual ability

• Help set individual targets with students for IB Diploma

Students are not required to do any extra work in preparation for the ALIS test. As mentioned previously, the test, together with other information, will be used to support students in their learning.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Year 10 & 11 Message

I hope all our families stayed safe and dry as Typhoon Yagi passed on Friday. 

We have the KGV Swim gala on Monday at 8am at Kowloon park Swimming Pool. All information is here. It is always a wonderful event.

We have had to push back the Year 10 Yellis test by two weeks due to the typhoon. This will now take place on Friday Sep 20th for the half of Year 10 that did not sit the test last Tuesday.

All Year 10 students have completed their introduction to study skills and will now have between one and three supervised study periods in their timetable per cycle. These will help them keep up with assignments and create more time to get into revision.

Year 11 students will go through the ESF University Fair during tutor time next Thursday. They will have a chance to talk to representatives from a wide variety of Universities to prompt some thinking about possible future destinations

Revision
It is so important that students set up a habit of regular revision from the beginning of their Y10/11 course.

You can help at home.
Revision is active. Reading over notes is a poor use of revision time. Better forms of revision are: summarising notes onto flashcards, creating diagrams, creating quizzes, describing ideas to a family member, using AI to quiz or question you, or doing past-paper questions. All these activities require recall and interaction with the material they are learning. Please have a conversation with your child to ensure they are using their revision time efficiently and effectively.

Year 7 Message

We hope you were safe and well during the typhoon. We also hope your child could access their online learning resources and continue their studies during this time. If you have any concerns or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact your child's tutor.

We were excited to witness our students' enthusiasm during the Interhouse Assemblies this week, especially as they prepare for the Swimming Gala on Monday! These assemblies provide an excellent opportunity for students to engage in friendly competition, learn about their houses, and build school spirit. They cheer for their peers through house chants, fostering camaraderie and support. The energy is contagious, and we encourage everyone to join in the fun as we celebrate teamwork, sportspersonship, and the joy of participation. In a supportive and engaging environment, the swimming gala is a practical platform for students to apply and enhance their social and character skills, two of the MYP Approaches To Learning Skills we focus on in Years 7-9 at KGV. All information is here. 

During our Year 7 assembly this week, the Wellbeing Team presented the Wellbeing Support available to students at KGV. Please see the attached presentation and discuss with your child the support available to them. 

Presentation Link Here 

Participation in our KGV CAS programme provides avenues to develop interests, build friendships, and cultivate a sense of belonging. Activities should start next week, and students have been informed by e-mail which applications have been successful. Please see the CAS notice in the Newsletter for more information. 

Have a great weekend! 

Year 8 & 9 Message

We hope you were safe and well during the typhoon. We also hope your child could access their online learning resources and continue their studies today. If you have any concerns or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact your child's tutor.

We were excited to witness our students' enthusiasm during the Interhouse Assemblies this week, especially as they prepare for the Swimming Gala on Monday! These assemblies provide an excellent opportunity for students to engage in friendly competition, learn about their houses, and build school spirit. They cheer for their peers through house chants, fostering camaraderie and support. The energy is contagious, and we encourage everyone to join in the fun as we celebrate teamwork, sportspersonship, and the joy of participation. In a supportive and engaging environment, the swimming gala is a practical platform for students to apply and enhance their social and character skills, two of the MYP Approaches To Learning Skills we focus on in Years 7-9 at KGV. All information is here. 

We will hold our first Year 7-9 Student Council Meeting this Wednesday. This gathering will allow our students to unite, share their ideas, and discuss ways to enhance our school community. We are excited to see the enthusiasm and creativity that our student representatives will bring to the table as they embark on this collaborative journey.

Participation in our KGV CAS programme provides avenues to develop interests, build friendships, and cultivate a sense of belonging. Activities should start next week, and students have been informed by e-mail which applications have been successful. Please see the CAS notice in the Newsletter for more information. 

Have a great weekend!

Student Health Service Application

Dear Parents and guardians,

The annual Student Health Service application process has started. Please find attached the parent letter and application form for your information.

Year 7 students will receive a printed copy from their tutors this week. There are also hard copies available in the reception if needed.

For those who decide to apply, please return the completed forms to School Reception by Friday, September 13, 2024.

***Late submission will need to apply directly to the Department of Health - Student Health Service***

Thank you!

Attachments:

Application and Consent Form

Letters to Parents

Parents Notes

Open Day

Open Day was last Monday Sep 3rd. To help us to improve the event for next year, please take a moment to give us some feedback on your experience if you attended or why you did not attend. Thank you.

Child Protection and Safeguarding Training For All Staff

ESF upholds every child’s right to learn and live in conditions that protect them from harm, promoting the optimum development of their intellectual, physical, emotional and social wellbeing. 

At KGV, we adhere to the ESF Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, which states that Child Protection is everyone’s responsibility; the ESF community is responsible for being preventative and proactive in all child protection matters. 

Through child protection training sessions led by Vice Principal & Child Protection Officer Mrs Kiely Murphy, our staff focus on:

• School systems that are used for reporting any child protection concerns.

• Guidance on responding to student disclosures. 

• Scenario discussion on how to support students who might be suffering from harm.  

At KGV, protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of all our students is our highest priority; we believe that all forms of abuse and identity-based harm* are violations of a child’s human rights and are thus detrimental to a child’s holistic development. All educators, administrators, and staff at KGV have a fundamental legal, professional, and ethical obligation to support and protect the children under our care from any form of maltreatment. ESF takes all allegations of child abuse seriously and is committed to preventing abuse in all its forms, including neglect, identity-based discrimination, verbal, physical, psychological, and sexual harm.

Child protection is a shared responsibility between all stakeholders. By working together, we can create a safe and positive environment where every child has the best opportunity to thrive at KGV. 

If you have concerns regarding a student’s safety or risk of harm, please get in touch with VP & CPO Mrs Kiely Murphy. 

*Identity-based Harm: Hurt caused by behaviour targeted at our identities – our race, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, citizenship status, documentation status, religion, etc. (Emerson College, 2024)

It’s great to see the excitement building around the campus with the CAS Activity program starting next week. Allocation has happened so we hope the students have managed to get something to engage in this term. Please see some notes about what happens next 

• If students don’t get a space on their chosen activity, they will remain on the waitlist and be notified when a space becomes available
• There are a number of activities that still have spaces available and students are able to browse Lionel and sign up anytime from today. 
• Students can find out information about when/where their activity takes place, but if they are unsure, I recommend they reach out to their teacher supervisor.
• For activities that require an additional fee, students and parents will be notified of what that fee is and how to pay the provider. 

New activities are often added to the program as we progress through the term so please remind students to check the student bulletin and check the activity section on Lionel.

Finally, if students have changed their mind and/or their circumstances, which means they cannot take part, please encourage them to contact their teacher or student leaders directly as there could be someone sitting waiting who could take their place.

I look forward to seeing the school campus buzzing with activity next week. 

Dean Beard

CAS, Service-Learning and Activities Coordinator

Careers & H.E. Guidance

Year 13
Y13 1-1 HE Session. All students should have received their appointment dates & times. For any query or change, students to reach out to their respective H.E. Counsellor at the soonest.

Google Classroom & Student Bulletin posts. It is very important that students check their H.E. Counsellor’s Google Classrooms and Student Bulletin posts for careers & H.E.-related information.

Year 12
We understand that start of IB/BTEC/IBCP is challenging, especially in Term 1. If students need any help from the Careers & H.E. Team, they can find us in the Year 12-13 Office. We will be presenting to the Yr 12’s later on in the term providing guidance and resources to assist their higher education journey. In the meantime, our H.E. Counsellors have set up Google Classrooms for Y12s where H.E.-related information is shared.

Mark your calendar
ESF University Fair @ KGV, 12 Sep (09.30-12.30).  Parent pre-registration was closed on 5 Sep. Only pre-registration via the form is accepted, to avoid a large volume of emails.

KGV Careers Fair, 23 Sep (12.30-14.15). Although the Careers Fair is mainly for Year 9 students to prepare them for option choices, this doesn’t mean that our senior students cannot join! The Fair is open to all students during lunch time. Students are welcome to check out the booths and ask industry experts about their work and experiences. List of participants are being finalised.

If parents would like to take a booth and share their experience in their professions with students, please email careers.office@kgv.edu.hk.

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

H.E. Visits @ KGV School, SSC1-2). Due to the short duration, H.E. visits are open to students only.
17 Sep: University of Southern California
18 Oct: NYU

General
26 Sep: Unifrog International University Fair 2024

H.K.
28 Sep: HK Academy for Performing Arts Information Day 2024
15 Oct: CUHK Sir Run Run Shaw Distinguished Visiting Scholar Lecture

U.K.
12 Sep: University of Oxford: Student webinar 2024-25
12-13 Sep: University of Oxford: Student Webinar
14 Sep: University of York Law School: One-day Law Seminar @ CDNIS

U.S.A.
12 Sep: Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Northwestern, Vanderbilt HK Public Information Session

Singapore
9 Sep: National University of Singapore Info Session @ Singapore International School

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

School References

School reference (non-higher education purposes)

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

For students’ privacy, parental permission is required before KGV can release the school reference for your child. KGV will only proceed with requests once parental permission has been received.

To request a school reference, parents are kindly asked to complete this form.  Please allow at least four working weeks for teachers to prepare the references.

School references for higher education applications are managed 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

Canteen Menu 

9 - 13 September