Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I am sure your child is looking forward to Challenge Week and the adventures that lie ahead. This is a key part of KGV’s educational experience and with so many activities available, it is truly a time where each student can be their own remarkable. It is an opportunity to try something new, collaborate with different people and develop a whole range of skills that contribute to each child’s development.

Many magical memories will be created over the coming days. This is because of the careful planning of the Challenge Week team led by Tim Carrell, the leadership of each of the trip organisers and the contributions of both teaching and support staff. Their commitment to ensuring a safe environment whilst over 1900 students engage in 70+ activities is wonderful. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all KGV staff for making this happen.

This time of year is a particularly festive one for many in our community. KGV has experienced a day of joy and celebrations with our Diwali festivities. For those who celebrate Diwali, I wish you and your families a year ahead that is filled with positivity, prosperity and peace.

Have an enjoyable weekend.

Best regards,

Mark Poulsum

Principal

Year 10 & 11 Message

We saw the first year 11 students off at the airport late last night. Two hundred more are heading out on language immersion trips all over the world in the next 3 days.

We wish those students and their families well. We know it will help their language greatly and be a wonderful experience.

Many other Year 11 students and all our Year 10 students are engaged in a wide variety of activities next week and we look forward to seeing pictures and hearing stories of all that they learn.

Year 11 have all had talks this week from a variety of different subjects and they should be submitting their Year 12 application form by the first Monday after Challenge Week. The option choices are due by November 15th. If parents have any questions please contact our Head of Curriculum Mr Tristan Kent. tristan.kent@kgv.edu.hk

Year 12 Message

We would like to wish all of our families a very Happy Diwali!

From today, 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.

We wish all of our Year 12 students a very successful Challenge Week and look forward to seeing you back on campus on Monday 11th November.

Wishing you a super Diwali weekend!

Year 13 Message

We wish all of our famies a very Happy Diwali!

We are looking forward to providing a memorable and rewarding Challenge Week experience for our Year 13 students next week with activities ranging from self-defence workshops to street photography and of course our now annual trip to Disneyland!

We are also holding catch-up workshops for Extended Essay and Maths IA alongside our Group 4 Collaborative Project Day on Tuesday 5th November.

Wishing you a super Diwali weekend!

Year 8 & 9 Message

We had a fantastic time celebrating Diwali at lunchtime! The atmosphere was filled with joy and excitement as students enjoyed the performances. The vibrant light show brought the spirit of the Festival of Lights to life, and it was great to see so many students come together to celebrate this special occasion. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making this celebration memorable.

We look forward to more events that bring our community together!

Challenge Week 2024 has finally arrived. Activity weeks and service learning are vital for students as they offer hands-on experiences that promote personal growth, teamwork, and essential life skills. These activities promote learning new skills and enhance empathy and social responsibility, enabling students to connect with their communities and understand their impact. They also allow students to apply academic knowledge in real-world contexts, reinforcing learning and building confidence. These initiatives contribute to a well-rounded education that prepares students to be active, informed citizens. We encourage everyone to make the most of these opportunities!

Key Goals for Challenge Week:

• Make new friends

• Challenge yourself

• Show leadership

• Support each other

Learning Objectives for Challenge Week:

• Creativity: Try new activities and learn new skills.

• Character: Demonstrate empathy and push yourself beyond your comfort zone.

• Communication: Collaborate and build friendships.

• Collaboration: Contribute to team efforts.

• Critical Thinking: Solve problems in new situations.

• Citizenship: Learn more about Hong Kong or another country's culture and environment.

Behaviour Expectations for Students:

• Represent our school positively.

• Adhere to all school standards and ensure safety.

• Support your teachers for a successful week.

Parent Preparation:

• Check the website for details about your child's activities.

• School buses will run throughout the week, with a 3:20 PM schedule on Monday. The canteen will be open.

• Please inform us of any absences. 

Thank you for your support!

Year 7 Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We had a fantastic time celebrating Diwali at lunchtime! The atmosphere was filled with joy and excitement as students enjoyed the performances. The vibrant light show brought the spirit of the Festival of Lights to life, and it was great to see so many students come together to celebrate this special occasion. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to making this celebration memorable.

Challenge Week 2024 has finally arrived. Activity weeks and service learning are vital for students as they offer hands-on experiences that promote personal growth, teamwork, and essential life skills. These activities promote learning new skills and enhance empathy and social responsibility, enabling students to connect with their communities and understand their impact. They also allow students to apply academic knowledge in real-world contexts, reinforcing learning and building confidence. These initiatives contribute to a well-rounded education that prepares students to be active, informed citizens. We encourage everyone to make the most of these opportunities!

All Year 7 students are involved in a bespoke Year 7 programme. All information was sent to you from Mr Carrell. Students should wear House Colours all week and be prepared for physical activity e.g. have hats, suncream etc. Please check the emails from Mr Carrell as they will let you know which of the activities your child is joining on Monday. Each tutor group has been allocated a member of staff for the week, so any questions to them directly please. Remember, CAS activities do not take place next week.

Every day:

• Students meet at school by 8:15am and are returned to school by 3:20pm
• They need to bring a packed lunch, snacks and a water bottle
• They should have their MYP journal and a pen
• They should bring a hat, sunscreen and insect repellant

Key Goals for Challenge Week:

• Make new friends
• Challenge yourself
• Show leadership
• Support each other

Learning Objectives for Challenge Week:

• Creativity: Try new activities and learn new skills.
• Character: Demonstrate empathy and push yourself beyond your comfort zone.
• Communication: Collaborate and build friendships.
• Collaboration: Contribute to team efforts.
• Critical Thinking: Solve problems in new situations.
• Citizenship: Learn more about Hong Kong or another country's culture and environment.

Behaviour Expectations for Students:

• Represent our school positively.
• Adhere to all school standards and ensure safety.
• Support your teachers for a successful week.

Parent Preparation:

• Check the website for details about your child's activities.
• School buses will run throughout the week, with a 3:20 PM schedule on Monday. The canteen will be open.
• Please inform us of any absences.

Year 7 Challenge Week promises to be a fun-filled week and an excellent opportunity for your child to make new friends and have a go at new activities. 

For those of our families celebrating Diwali, we wish you a blessed, healthy and prosperous Festival of Lights.

Have a great weekend.

Challenge Week

All students and staff are engaged with Challenge Week next week.

Make sure you know which activity your child is doing and have accessed the Challenge Week website. The specific page for their activity has details such as contacts for the staff leader, meeting time and location, itinerary, equipment lists and more.

During the week if your child will be absent, please email the staff leader. 

If you need to message us urgently call main reception on 27113029

If it is an emergency, you can call me on the KGV emergency phone 92090479 (emergencies only please).

We hope all students have a safe and engaging week of learning outside the normal classroom routine.

Learning reviews for Years 7,8,9,10 adn 12 are on the horizon. The booking system opens this evening at 6pm.

Students will not attend school on the two full days of Learning reviews.

Learning reviews are an opportunity to discuss academic progress with your child’s teachers at KGV.

Learning Reviews involve all subject teachers and all students. In 2024 we are planning for these to take place for students in Y7,8,9,10,12 on:

• Fri 15/11 
• Mon 25/11 (afternoon only)
• Mon 2/12

And for students in Y11 and 13 following the mock exams.

Bookings are made in Lionel through the ESF App. The system opens at 6pm this Friday evening.

Parents can make bookings across any of the three days. The appointment booking system will close 48 hours before each Learning Review to give staff time to plan and prepare. It will then reopen at the end of each Learning Review so you can book or change appointments for the days still to come.

We have 10 minute and 5 minute slots available. Choose a 5 minute slot unless there are deeper issues you wish to discuss. Slots cannot be booked back to back.

A full guide for making bookings and using Google meet is here.

Careers & Guidance

Year 13
We want to give a big pat on the shoulder to our Year 13s for their achievements since the beginning of term.  They’ve weathered various higher education applications while navigating the many academic challenges.  Let’s continue to send our Year 13s positive vibes as they prepare for their higher education applications.

Challenge Week.  We have arranged an alumni speaker session and interview skills workshop, as part of the Y13 Challenge Week programme on Thu, 7 Nov.  In the meantime, students can make appointments with their HE Counsellors if they need further advice during Challenge Week.

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 HKU Admissions and KCL Sports Science & Physiotherapy professor this week to share with our students about applying to these institutions. More are on the way after Challenge Week.

H.K.
2 Nov: HKUST Info Day
2 Nov: Lingnan University Discovery Day
9 Nov: HK Metropolitan University Info Day
16 Nov: Hang Seng University Info Day
30 Nov: CU Medicine: GPS Distinguished Leadership Workshop Series – Dean Philip Chiu

U.K.
Oct-Nov, various dates: UCL Virtual Info Sessions
2 Nov: University of Warwick Undergraduate Day
4 Nov: KCL Online Event: Writing your undergraduate personal statement
4-8 Nov: University of Liverpool – Online Open Week
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
13 Nov: EducationUSA 101 (Cantonese session)

Canada
9 Nov: University of Toronto HK Scholarships Info Session
20 Nov: EduCanada Student Fair (Online)

Australia
9 Nov: Meet Melbourne in Hong Kong

Japan
13 Nov: APU Japan Online Info Session

Singapore
16 Nov: NUS Undergraduate Admissions 7 Faculties Sharing

KGV Careers & H.E. Team

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

4 - 8 November

Please be reminded that, SALAD BAR (EAT); BOWL LUNCH and PIZZA HUT will be closed during Challenge Week.

We will keep serving SALAD BOX and PASTRIES at Leo’s; TWO lunch choice and a quick lunch at Social Kitchen (Main Canteen).