As it has now been two weeks since the introduction of our new bus regulations, I would like to take this opportunity to update you.

We have received positive feedback from both parents and bus drivers, and the buses have been arriving 10 minutes earlier with the new regulations. As planned, the buses have been leaving the school on time, ten minutes after classes finish to drive up Guildford Road to Peak Road, with no obstructions from private cars. Great news!

However, for this new model to continue to be successful, it is vital that we all continue to play an active and supportive role. We ask all parents with Drivers to instruct them to wait for the arrival of the children, who are only allowed to leave school after the buses have departed, off Guildford Road.

Students must also follow the rules. Unfortunately, we have found that some students with an Early Release Pass are misusing them to take private cars instead of buses. The Early Release Passes have been introduced exclusively for students who use public transport or walk.

Whilst writing, I would also like to address another issue. The Senior Management Team has observed many vehicles delivering lunch to Secondary students. We are actively committed to reducing our carbon footprint and this additional traffic counteracts our efforts to implement a more environmentally friendly and sensible transport plan. We strongly urge you to desist from this. GSIS is very fortunate to be able to offer a varied lunch menu through our Cafeteria or students are very welcome to bring their lunch with them in the morning.

To ensure that the preferred bus departure keeps running smoothly we have provided a list of rules, which will be discussed with our students and distributed over the class rooms.

I would like to thank all parents and students who have helped with a seamless transition to this new bus regime and I fully appreciate your cooperation with the above.

Ulrich Weghoff
Principal

Attachments

This week sees the first hike of the school year and we look forward to our coffee morning to welcome and get to know the new parents joining GSIS.

Hiking on Cheng Chau - Monday September 16th 8:30am
Zoe and Dominic will lead the way in discovering Cheung Chau, one of the so-called Outlying Islands. During the moderate walk we will explore the northern uninhabited part of the island, the over 200 years old Pak Tai temple and the scenic “Mini Great Wall”.

Welcome to new parents - Tuesday September 17th 8am
Come join us for a coffee and homemade cakes and a chance to meet the Parents@GSIS team and other new parents in our casual get together.

To sign up to either of these events please email us at parents@gsis.edu.hk.

Diwali at GSIS - Celebrating diversity
As part of the 50th anniversary year celebrations, Parents@GSIS would like to celebrate the diversity of our  wonderful community. Throughout the school year we would like to celebrate a variety of traditions and cultures of families at GSIS. We will be starting by celebrating Diwali at GSIS on Thursday 31st October. As well as offering a variety of indian snacks we would like to offer an educational and cultural experience for the students. If you are interested in being involved please send us your details through the linked form https://forms.gle/Kj8WAMSEUo4tfaEC9

We would also love to hear about other festivities that you would like to see being celebrated at the school.

We wish you all an enjoyable mid autumn festival and hope that you get to enjoy some mooncakes.

Anouska Mutreja
Chair of Parents@GSIS

Afternoon Activities Bookings

Dear Parents

A common concern from the parent body has been the pressure of booking afternoon activities using the first-come-first-served approach. With that in mind, the school has decided to adopt a preference-based approach, where the selection system will be open for 5 days and the time at which you make your selections will not influence the possibility of being allocated an activity.

We will be using a new application called SchoolsBuddy. Shortly, you will receive an invite to set up an account with SchoolsBuddy. This application has already been successfully used in our secondary section for Discovery Week, and therefore some parents already have an account set up. Please make sure you check your SPAM/JUNK folder as a precaution, the email invite will come from noreply@schoolsbuddy.com.

A how-to video has already been produced, and this will give you a step by step guide on how the system will work. The link to the video can be found here:

The booking system for Pokfulam Campus will open on September 27th and close again on October 1st which gives parents a 5-day window in which to make their selections. Allocation of selected AA/ECAs will take place approximately 2 days after booking closed. Once the current ECA/AA lists have been uploaded onto the SchoolsBuddy system we will email you again so that you can browse the extensive selection available. This will be done closer to the booking dates.

Declan Burke
Head of Teaching & Learning Technology

Update on online school shop with Kukri

The school signed a contract with Kukri on Thursday 29th August to enable GSIS parents to purchase the regular PE kit through their online system. At the time we were assured that the online shop would be up and running within a few days. Unfortunately Kukri are having technical issues with the set up and have advised us that they will need some more time - they hope to be ready by the week commencing 23rd September. The delay is disappointing and as such Kukri have offered to help with any urgent requests.

Please email Ilya.Lui@KukriSports.com or Aidan.Dent@kukrisports.com who will be able to advise you if they have the item in stock and if it can be collected from their offices at Unit 04, 27/F, Global Trade Square, 21 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong island. Please note that this only applies to the regular PE kits and we are working with the PE staff to ensure that students can purchase kits for team sports and ECAs.

Anouska Mutreja
Chair of Parents@GSIS

The Like Movie

LIKE is an IndieFlix Original documentary that explores the impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain. The goal of the film is to inspire us to self-regulate. Social media is a tool and social platforms are a place to connect, share, and care … but is that what's really happening?

This movie was filmed in Hong Kong using students from other international schools, so the content is extremely relevant for students and parents in the GSIS community.

Parents@GSIS will host a free screening of The Like Movie on Tuesday, September 24th at 6:30pm in the IB Hall. Click on the link below to watch the trailer.

If you wish to attend the screening, please RVSP here: https://forms.gle/gyCaCsJAoS12KPwh7

Declan Burke
Head of Teaching & Learning Technology

(Click thumbnail/s to enlarge image)

Grit Cichon

Dear Parents

A few weeks have already passed since the beginning of the new school year and it seems as school life has returned to its daily routine in many areas. It was great to see our old and new students in the classrooms and assemblies as well as many of you at the various welcome events in the individual departments and at the 'Back to School' evening.

Parents' evenings have taken place in almost all classes and you have elected your parent representatives and deputies (KPRs). I would like to thank all those who have once again taken on this responsibility and important roles in this school year. I look very much forward to meeting you personally for the election of the KPR Departmental Secretaries on 2 October and to continuing our trustful cooperation in the future.

The close cooperation with all of you is extremely important to us. This is the key to ensure an effective partnership between parents and school for the benefit of your children, our students. As a school, we greatly appreciate an open, sincere and respectful dialogue. In this context, I would like to stress that not all communication channels are well suited for this purpose. While WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook are valuable platforms for exchanging information and discussing ideas, messages here should be sent cautiously. As a school, we teach our students how to use digital media and social platforms responsibly and have clear guidelines for respectful and appreciative communication. We should all be aware of our responsibility as role models and avoid inappropriate or unacceptable comments, rumours and insults. Instead, I encourage you to seek direct dialogue with those concerned.

Finally, as Child Protection Officer for the German International Stream I would like to take this opportunity to clarify one of the points we ask parents to agree to on our online Enrollment Agreement.

If both parents are away from Hong Kong at any time, a temporary guardian must be appointed and the school must be notified by using the form provided. Under Hong Kong law, domestic helpers may not be identified as temporary guardians. Failure to fill out this form could result in the Hong Kong government taking minor children into protective care.

We understand that it may be necessary for both parents to be overseas for business or family commitments. In such cases, it is essential that you appoint an official guardian to supervise your children during your absence.

The form can be found here: Guardianship of Minors Ordinance (Cap. 13) [HK Labour and Welfare Department]. This form should be completed and sent to the relevant school secretary at least three school days before any travel:

• KG: PFL_Secretary@gsis.edu.hk
• GPD:    primary_secretary@gsis.edu.hk
• GSD:    GSD_Secretary@gsis.edu.hk

Have a great week!

Grit Cichon
Deputy Principal / Head of German International Stream

Sophie Burdel

Eileen Mah

Sophie Burdel
Head of Kindergarten

Eileen Mah
Deputy Head of Kindergarten

Parents' Evenings & 50th Anniversary Celebration

Priska Erni

Parents' Evenings

Over the last two weeks, all primary parents' evenings have taken place. I was very happy to welcome many of you personally and I would like to thank you for your active participation.

All presentations of the parents' evenings can be found on the Parent Portal.

50th Anniversary Celebration - Primary Department

The 50th Anniversary celebrations in November will be a highlight of this school year. Celebrate with us already now. Please take a picture of yourself and your family with the GSIS logo, GSIS flag, GSIS poster or anything else you and the children can think of and send it to me (perni@gsis.edu.hk).

With all these photos we would like to create a photo wall with all GSIS Primary families in the entrance of the Upper Building.

We have already started and hope to get many photos.

Priska Erni
Head of German Primary Department

(Click thumbnail/s to enlarge image)

Simon Misso-Veness

Think global, act local.

In this age of increasing political uncertainty we should not lose sight of some of the bigger questions that continue to challenge our world. The UN Sustainability Goals, that include a range of ongoing environmental concerns, will serve as an enduring challenge for our children to engage with in the near future. As a school we need to provide the educational foundations that can nourish the commitment, imagination and resilience to address them. It certainly appears that it is the children who are engaging with these questions as the politicians are embroiled in their own issues.

As part of our school’s Strategic Plan we want to promote environmental sustainability in everything we do from operations to catering, curriculum to transportation. It will be a challenge but we have made a positive start in many areas that I would like to highlight before outlingin a blueprint for our future development.

In all campuses disposable packaging has been replaced with plates and cutlery and there has been a significant reduction in the use of plastic cups and straws. We are aiming to eliminate single-use plastic from our food outlets and from next week no clear cups will be available in the Three Mackerels cafeteria. Our hope is for students and staff to bring their own water bottles and be able to re-fill from filtered water fountains. We continue to educate students about food waste at mealtimes so that we limit the amount we throw away.

In terms of school resources the primary department now use biodegradable glue sticks and all staff have an allotted quota of photocopies each year so that they can monitor how much paper they use. We have a paper recycling group in the secondary department, Chapter 21, who provide recycling bins in most classrooms. The school continues to source options for environmentally friendly materials such as paper, exercise books, marker pens and cleaning materials.

All departments invite the Plastic Free Seas in to school every year to deliver talks and workshops for the children and also to parents. These visits usually evolve into environment themed weeks, particularly in the Kindergarten. In the primary classroom our students learn about healthy living, life cycle dependency, limitations of essential resources, the human impact on biodiversity and how our use of energy impacts the Earth including the effect of climate change on our environment. In the secondary departments students study Geography from Year 7 to Year 9 and can opt for IGCSE and IB Diploma courses.

We are aiming to tackle the pollution caused by traffic by having a bus-only policy at Pokfulam and introducing a staggered departure at The Peak; we hope to further reduce unnecessary trips by encouraging more students to car share or take the bus. There are two gardens in the Upper and Middle Buildings where students learn about growing their own produce and I understand there are plans for a Living Wall in the secondary department, which will start to replenish the environment around The Peak.

Our Environmental Protection Club, run by Mrs Surman, seeks to raise awareness throughout the year by hosting environmental films and organising feature days such as Earth Hour (Friends of the Earth) and World Environment Day. This year we are extending this to a school-wide Environmental Group that will involve staff and students as we work towards the Hong Kong Green School Award. There is still plenty to do in order to be a more environmentally aware school and we also aim to change the way we use energy in the school from air conditioning and lighting to generally reducing our carbon footprint.

We know this is a start and we have a long way to go but if you have any suggestions for further improving our environmental credentials through eco-contacts, practical advice and ways to support us, please let me know. I shall look forward to hearing from you.

Academic Reference Requests 

It is the time of year when some families are already thinking about their next steps; if this involves applications to other schools, please send any requests for academic references to our departmental secretaries in the first instance and they will be coordinated from here.

University Scholarships & SCMP Student of the Year 2019/20

Older students may like to know that there are a number of scholarships available for university applicants. Any individuals who are interested to find out more should to come to speak with me.

There is also the annual Student of the Year Award organised by the SCMP for students in Year 11 to Year 13 that includes eight categories as well as the Grand Prize; the application process is from late October to early December. Our incredible students have been very successful in these awards in recent years so if any current students are interested, please do come to speak with me.

Have a wonderful week.

Simon Misso-Veness
Deputy Principal / Head of English International Stream

Links

Sophie Burdel

Eileen Mah

Sophie Burdel
Head of Kindergarten

Eileen Mah
Deputy Head of Kindergarten

Kim Cunningham

Donna Morley

Dear Parents,

While we are several weeks into the school year, we will have a few new routines beginning next week.  All Y2 and Y3 students staying for lunch and taking the 1:15 bus home will be taken to the cafeteria at 12:30 for their meal, whether they have brought their lunch or ordered one.  All students who have ordered a meal for the 1:15 lunch will be taken to the cafeteria. This is one way we are reducing our environmental impact, by having students use plates and cutlery versus the packaging of lunches brought to the Upper Building.

ECAs/AAs begin on Monday.  Please make sure you and your child review their schedule in the evening/morning so that they know what activities they have each day.

As part of our celebration of the GSIS 50th Anniversary, the Primary would like to see our families recognize this special occasion.  We invite you to send in a family photo showing your GSIS pride. Below, you can see the Primary Leadership Team showing our GSIS spirit! Please send in a photo to me at kcunningham@gsis.edu.hk  – labelling all the family members – for us to share on our GSIS Wall of Pride!

Upcoming Events

• Thursday, 19th September at 6pm - Curriculum Night for all Year 1-Year 6 parents at the Peak. The invitation and registration link are in the document below.
• Wednesday, 25th September at 6pm - Parent Evening. Dr Anisha Abraham, “Talking about Sex, Relationships and Boundaries through the Primary Years. Please see EPD Wellbeing Week 2019 in the Updates & Announcements section below for invitation and registration link.
• Thursday, 26th September at 8am - Parent Coffee Morning - Dr Anisha Abraham, Condensed version of Parent Evening with more Q&A. Please see EPD Wellbeing Week 2019 in the Updates & Announcements section below for invitation and registration link.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Kim Cunningham
Head of English Primary Department

Donna Morley
Deputy Head of English Primary Department

(Click thumbnail/s to enlarge image)

Attachments

Ken Stevenson

It is sometimes amazing to think back over how much has changed in the past few years. Next week, our Wellbeing Week, a hugely successful annual event where we look as a community at issues around physical and mental health and looking after ourselves. The seed for this week was planted several years ago when a parent contacted me and the school counsellors to recommend Dr Anisha Abraham.

This Friday, students participating in the Hamburg Exchange Programme depart Hong Kong. This programme began in 2015 with 5 students visiting Hamburg. This year, we have 17 students and I hope that they, and Frau Hlavaty and Frau Lemm, enjoy the experience. Gute Reise und Viel Spaß!

Increasingly, information pertaining to the ESD is being collated online through Veracross. Please navigate to the ESD parent portal to view curriculum and assessment information, the test schedule, homework timetables and other useful documentation. Please let me know if you feel that any information is missing.

Have a great week!

Ken Stevenson
Head of English Secondary Department

(Click thumbnail/s to enlarge image)