Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The air of anticipation for Challenge Week continues as final preparations are put in place, with so many students being innovative and creative with their fundraising activities. It has also been fantastic to see the house spirit alive and well with such strong participation in the Inter-house cross-country event. 

We also continued our parent engagement workshops. This included approximately 35 parents sharing ideas and suggestions for how we ensure each student is ‘Known, Heard, Safe and Successful.’ Amongst a whole range of ideas, key themes emerged from these conversations. These included:

• How do we continue to build the KGV parent community so they can provide peer support?

• How do we ensure parents have clarity on the systems and processes we use at KGV?

• How can parents support their children in managing stress and enabling healthy lifestyles?

• How can KGV work alongside parents to ensure appropriate use of digital technologies?

We will use these emergent themes to shape future parent engagement workshops, with the next one being scheduled for 29th November. More details to follow soon.

Have an enjoyable and restful weekend ahead.

Best regards,

Mark

Year 7 Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This week in assembly Mr Pouslum spoke to students about the importance of being a KGV ambassador outside of school as well as around the campus. Our values of Courage, Honesty and Empathy are just as relevant when we are wearing our school uniform on public transport as they are walking around our school corridors. We also took the opportunity to congratulate our amazing Year 7 students on their personal achievements outside of school, such as Chloe and Gabriel in the 24 Hour Hebe Haven Sailing Competition.

Mr Carrell spoke to Year 7 students on Wednesday about Challenge Week. He has since emailed you all with the details to help you support your child through this week. It looks like it is going to be a great deal of fun. Please let us know if you have any questions as we head into the final week before Challenge Week.

Next Friday (1st November) you will be given access to our online parent sign-up for this year's Learning Reviews. They will take place on 15th November (all day), 25th November (afternoon) and 2nd December (all day). Your child should accompany you at these meetings as we work together to enable your child to be the best they can be. Details will be shared as to how to sign up.

A reminder too about parent involvement in our upcoming ROAR week. Please use the link in this newsletter to sign up for a History Session, lunch with your child and/or taking part in Take-Your-Parent-To School Day. All these events take place on Wednesday 20th November.

Have a great weekend. 

Year 8 Message

It has been a busy week with Interhouse Cross Country, Year 8 Geography Field Trips and Challenge Week Meetings.   

Thank you in advance to the Year 8 parents who have volunteered to attend the students' class presentations for their "Sustainability in KGV" interdisciplinary unit. Your support and involvement mean a great deal to our students as they showcase their hard work and creativity. We look forward to seeing you there and sharing this unique learning experience! 

If you still need to do so, please encourage your child to show you their MYP Journal. Ask them which of the five ATL skills—Communication, Social, Self-Management, Research, or Thinking—they found most helpful this week. Have them explain why they found that particular ATL skill helpful and how they might apply it in other subjects.

Next Friday (1st November), you will be given access to our online parent sign-up for this year's Learning Reviews. They will take place on 15th November (all day), 25th November (afternoon) and 2nd December (all day). Your child should accompany you at these meetings as we work together to enable your child to be the best they can be. You will soon receive details on how to sign up.

We’ve received several reports of thefts recently. Sometimes, these things have been lost rather than stolen. Please remind your child to be cautious with their belongings to minimise risks.

• Valuables: Hand items like phones, wallets, and money to the teacher during PE, Drama, or CAS activities, or lock them in lockers. Avoid leaving them in changing rooms, which are not secure.

• Bags: Do not leave bags unattended. Keep them within sight, and avoid leaving them on lockers or tables while you go elsewhere.

If a student finds any valuables left behind anywhere, we have asked that they please return them to the Year 8/9 Office or the PTSA Office. Thank you for your support!

As the cooler weather sets in, we are delighted to see more students enjoying the opportunity to spend time outside during break times. The fresh air and changing seasons provide an excellent backdrop for socialising, playing, and engaging in outdoor activities. We encourage them to take advantage of this pleasant weather as it contributes to their overall wellbeing and helps foster a sense of community. 

Thank you for your continued support in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle for our students!

Have a great weekend. 

Year 9 Message

It has been a busy week with Interhouse Cross Country, Challenge Week Meetings and Year 9 Option Talks for IGCSE.

If you still need to do so, please encourage your child to show you their MYP Journal. Ask them which of the five ATL skills—Communication, Social, Self-Management, Research, or Thinking—they found most helpful this week. Have them explain why they found that particular ATL skill helpful and how they might apply it in other subjects.

If you missed yesterday’s options presentation, we wanted to let you know that a recording, along with the slides, will soon be available in the options section of Lionel. This will provide the same information shared during the presentation.

Next Friday (1st November), you will be given access to our online parent sign-up for this year's Learning Reviews. They will take place on 15th November (all day), 25th November (afternoon) and 2nd December (all day). Your child should accompany you at these meetings as we work together to enable your child to be the best they can be. You will soon receive details on how to sign up.

We’ve received several reports of thefts recently. Sometimes, these things have been lost rather than stolen. Please remind your child to be cautious with their belongings to minimise risks.

• Valuables: Hand items like phones, wallets, and money to the teacher during PE, Drama, or CAS activities, or lock them in lockers. Avoid leaving them in changing rooms, which are not secure.

• Bags: Do not leave bags unattended. Keep them within sight, and avoid leaving them on lockers or tables while you go elsewhere.

If a student finds any valuables left behind anywhere, we have asked that they please return them to the Year 8/9 Office or the PTSA Office. Thank you for your support!

As the cooler weather sets in, we are delighted to see more students enjoying the opportunity to spend time outside during break times. The fresh air and changing seasons provide an excellent backdrop for socialising, playing, and engaging in outdoor activities. We encourage them to take advantage of this pleasant weather as it contributes to their overall wellbeing and helps foster a sense of community. 

Thank you for your continued support in promoting a healthy and active lifestyle for our students!

Have a great weekend. 

Year 12 & 13 Message

Next Friday (1st November), Year 12 parents will be given access to our online parent sign-up for this year's Learning Reviews. They will take place on 15th November (all day), 25th November (afternoon) and 2nd December (all day).

Students should accompany you at these meetings as we work together to enable your child to be the best they can be. You will soon receive details on how to sign up.

Year 13 Learning Reviews will take place after the Mock Examinations.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Year 10 & 11 Message

This week students had Challenge Week meetings on Wednesday.

Next week students will have Year 11 options presentations starting on Monday afternoon with an introduction to pathway choices which include the BTEC, IBCP, IB Courses and IBDP. In the rest of the week they will have the opportunity to hear from subject teachers across the curriculum.

Parents can access detailed information about the options through the App by going to Lionel and tapping the options button (top left) and choosing 
Courses > Senior School > Diploma Transition

Tutors will guide students through one to one conversations over the coming weeks.

Many Year 11 students will be looking forward to their language immersion activities whether these are local or overseas.

KGV is approaching 2 milestones. We are about to turn 130 Years Old! This year we will also be celebrating our 100th Speech Night! Two remarkable achievements.

To acknowledge these milestones and to celebrate our legacy we have a programme of events scheduled for our ROAR Week, 18th-22nd November. We would love it if our parents could join us for some of these events.

This form is for parents to show their interest in attending one or more of our celebratory events which all take place on Wednesday 20th November. If you are interested in any of these events, please complete the form by 5 pm on Tuesday 29th October.

Come Join Our Celebration!

Dear Year 13 parents,

Please note we will be using the November 2024 series of IBDP papers for our January mock exams in all Mathematics courses. The first of these papers was sat yesterday, 24th October.

We ask you to support your child to avoid seeing these papers before our mock examination period. This will help ensure they have the most authentic experience during the mock exam, to best prepare them for the real exams in May. For the mock exams to be authentic – and of best value to your child – students need to practise being in the Hall, under exam conditions, tackling questions that they have not seen before. If your child accidentally sees questions from these papers anytime between now and the mock exams, please ask them to come see us as soon as possible so we can organise alternative test papers, to provide them with this authentic experience.

Be aware that some online revision platforms (such as “revisionvillage” and similar) will publish worked solutions to these November papers very soon. As such, please remind your child to be extra vigilant in checking the source of questions they look at on these sites from now on, so as not to spoil their mock exam experience.

Please also note that achievement in the mock examinations cannot be used as evidence for raising predicted grades.

Thanks for your support in this,
KGV Mathematics Dept

Parents had an opportunity to connect with teaching staff and support staff in September. Coming up soon is a chance to discuss progress and to ask questions.

Our Learning Reviews are your chance to meet online with your child's teachers.

The first round of meetings is for students in years 7,8,9,10 and 12. Students in Year 11 and 13 will have an opportunity following the mock exams.

The dates for this first round of meetings are:

• Fri Nov 15th - all day
• Mon Nov 25th - half day
• Mon Dec 2nd - all day

Bookings open next Friday at 6pm.

For deeper information about how to book and how to use the meeting system, see this document.

Challenge Week

We are one week out from Challenge Week 2024.

Please make sure you are aware of what your child will be doing from November 4th to 8th. We have 682 students travelling outside of Hong Kong, 297 students involved in Year 7 activities and a total of 53 activities running during the week.

All information is available on the Challenge Week website. We are looking forward to a week of deep experiential learning and creating lasting memories.

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 external extension programmes outside of KGV, they should read and follow the information on this website: https://sites.google.com/kgv.hk/kgv-extension-opportunities .

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

Harrow “Wellbeing Working Wonders” Conference for Students

I was one of three Student Wellbeing Ambassadors who represented KGV at the inter-school Wellbeing Conference held at Harrow in early October. We attended an insightful lecture presented by MindHK and heard from student wellbeing representative from different HK secondary schools. We had the opportunity to share what we do at KGV including the initiatives we have tried this year, our goals and the different systems we have in place. We discussed issues varying from academic stress to relationship struggles and heard about the different approaches taken by each school. We then had time to brainstorm new ideas and to consider how to integrate some of the successful examples we saw into KGV to further improve our student experiences. We were put into groups, with each group designated an issue and tasked to develop an action plan for how schools and leadership teams can help to alleviate it. These issues included topics such as ‘Social Media and Body Image’, “Pressure and Stress Management” and “Parent Education”. Personally, this activity made me realize how huge the stigma is towards mental health, therefore making me want to strive for more creative and effective ways to help foster wellbeing at KGV.

When we returned to KGV we shared our experiences and action plans with the Wellbeing Prefects and Ms Barton and tried to select our top three ideas to implement next year (at the moment our favourite idea is to ban all assessments and homework during Mental Health Awareness Week in March!). We also want to embed some of these ideas into our new Thrive curriculum coming next year.

By the time the 2-day conference ended, we managed to have a deeper understanding of wellbeing, along with new friends that we can network with to help tackle mental health issues. We really appreciate this valuable opportunity and hope we will be able to participate in any other future conferences to help destigmatize mental health and improve the wellbeing of all students at KGV.

Article by - Ji Soo Hong (Y12) KGV Wellbeing Ambassador

On the last day before the half-term break, Friday 4th October, KGV celebrated Mental Health Awareness Day with odd socks! All students were encouraged to leave their KGV socks at home and to instead wear their most colourful, mismatched socks to school. And that's certainly what they did - from Wallace and Gromit themed socks to flaming hot Cheeto socks, the corridors were filled with colour. The Wellbeing Ambassadors and Prefects had a stand selling socks in case anyone had forgotten theirs.

This tradition aims to highlight the importance of mental health awareness in our school community. By embracing our differences and expressing individuality through quirky socks, we remind everyone that it's okay to stand out and be unique.

Article by – Alex Clime (Y13) KGV Wellbeing Prefect

Careers & Guidance

Year 13
Y13 1-1 HE Session. All students should have had their Higher Education appointment.

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
If students would like support 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.

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.

HE Visit @ KGV
We had representatives from UCL and NYU here this week to talk to our students about applying to these institutions. We have more visits on the way.

28 Oct: HKU Admission Talk for Y13 students (after school @ LRC1)
30 Oct: KCL Sports Science & Physiotherapy (after school @ Pride Gym)

H.K.
26 Oct: HKU Info Day
26 Oct: EdUHK Info Day
2 Nov: HKUST Info Day
2 Nov: Lingnan University Discovery Day
9 Nov: HK Metropolitan University Info Day

U.K.
Oct-Nov, various dates: UCL Virtual Info Sessions
31 Oct: University of Bath Virtual Open Day
7 Nov: Norwich University of the Arts Taster Workshop

U.S.A.
Oct-Dec, various dates: UC Santa Barbara Virtual Events for Further Freshmen Applicants
25 & 26 Oct: UCLA International Admission Info Session
13 Nov: EducationUSA 101 (Cantonese session)

Canada
30 Oct: College Board International UniTalks
9 Nov: University of Toronto HK Scholarships Info Session

Australia
27: University of Sydney HK Open Day

Singapore
16 Nov: NUS Undergraduate Admissions 7 Faculties Sharing

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

KGV Music Department are delighted to be a part of the ESF Secondary Schools Festival of Music. The standard for this year’s concert is extremely high, and we are very excited about it. Please come and support us by coming to watch the concert. We strongly recommend that you purchase your tickets ASAP as they are selling very quickly.

Ticket Information: Event: ESF Secondary Music Festival: On A Night Like This

 Date: Monday 25 November

 Time: 7:30 PM

 Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall

️ Tickets: Available on Urbtix 

Please also save the date in your diaries for our KGV Christmas Concert Thursday 5th December (evening). We will have performances from our Orchestras, Choirs, Jazz band and more.  

Thank you as always for your support - Music Department.

28 October - 1 November 2024