From Head of Stream

Dear Parents

Following a frustrating week back to online learning we are very much looking forward to opening school next week. I was pleased to have my first vaccination yesterday and look forward to possible future benefits regarding potential travel in the summer. My mother, who I have not seen for over a year, was 89 years old last weekend. We had a celebration as best we could over zoom but it was not quite what we wanted. She is in good spirits despite not having left her house for nearly a year other than brief walks outside. It brought to mind that all of us have a myriad of personal stories and challenges that we are navigating during this time. Just being kind to each other should not be overrated.

Student Leadership

Head Student elections & Prefect nominations

The election and nomination process for these key secondary student leadership roles were launched this week. Students will self-nominate in teams of two, create a one-minute hustings video and then it goes to the student vote. Exciting stuff! Thanks to our Trust Teachers, Herr Summe and Ms McCarrick for overseeing this process.

I would like to thank the four outgoing students who have really made a difference this year by advocating for and realising a number of initiatives that benefit the student body. Thank you to Jenna Hong, Sienna Martin, Mehak Sheethal Kumar and Jonas Hahn, it has been great working with you.

Earlier this week senior students submitted their application to be a Prefect. As is our tradition, the secondary staff will now review all these and select their nominations. Thank you to Ms Booth, Head of Year 12 & 13, for overseeing this process.

Academic Societies

This week I invited our Year 12 students to form new Academic Societies for this year. This is an opportunity for IBDP students to explore a particular subject area beyond the curriculum and to share their passion with other students through organising in-school seminars, visiting speakers, social experiments, debates and quizzes as well as an Action Week later in the year. I am very much looking forward to receiving the proposals.

Transition from EPD to ESD

We are starting to plan the transition process from EPD to ESD. I know that many in Year 6 are excited to cross Guildford Road to begin Year 7 and many are starting to ask questions about what might be different. Curriculum Leaders in EPD will be meeting with their counterparts in the ESD after the Easter break to review the academic transitions and the Year 6 teachers are gathering the tracking and progression data to share with Subject Leaders so that the transition to secondary school is as smooth as possible. Jessica McCarroll is our Head of Year 7 and Year 6 Transition so these students will start to see more of her next term as we plan some visits to secondary classes (hopefully not via zoom!).

Student Voice

I have spent the week focused on one of my favourite aspects of this profession, talking with students about enriching their experience of school following the survey on Online Learning & Student Wellbeing. The Class Representatives identified some key areas for improvement and will now discuss the results with their peers. We will meet again after the Spring Break to review suggestions.

KPR Meetings

And finally, a big thank you to all the KPR Secretaries who have arranged class meetings and gathered information in preparation for next week’s EPD meeting. It has been a particularly challenging year to be a KPR Secretary and I would like to pass on my gratitude to everyone who has volunteered for this role. I look forward to the Kindergarten and Secondary meetings next term.

Have a great week and do take care of yourselves.

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Kindergarten Corner

Dear Parents

The unexpected switch to online lessons this week went smoothly, and we hope you have been able to cope with the situation.

Hong Kong Government’s announcement to include teachers and school staff in the vaccination priority list was welcomed by all kindergarten staff. As a result, some of our staff members have already received their first vaccination.

We have used the online week to carry out our Pok Fu Lam campus’s professional disinfection to be well prepared for the return of our children on Monday.

The schedule for face-to-face lessons for the coming week was emailed to you yesterday. Please note the changes, and we are looking forward to having the children back in school to enjoy the upcoming Easter activities together. We will share these activities in the next issue of the Gazette.

Stay healthy and have a lovely weekend.

Sophie Burdel Head of Kindergarten Email

Eileen Mah Deputy Head of Kindergarten and Deputy Child Protection Officer Pok Fu Lam Campus Email

Primary Corner

Dear Parents,

Next week will mark a shift back to the 1/3 schedule we have been on since the end of February. Learning will occur as it did last week, with the students in the building on the following days: 

Peak Campus: 22 - 26 March 2021

Pok Fu Lam Campus: 22 - 26 March 2021

Communications

Please, if you have questions for a class teacher, specialist teacher, bus coordinator, ECA coordinator, HOD/DHoD, etc. go directly to that person with your question or concern. While we are happy to hear the concerns raised and to discuss them in the KPR meetings, we are seeing a shift of individuals not addressing concerns directly with the appropriate staff member. We have 97 items on our KPR Topics list, many of which could be addressed by a conversation or email. Some of the issues which could be handled more quickly and directly:

• The audio quality of a video provided by a teacher
• The bus missing a stop
• A parent would like some optional activities provided online
• A parent would like for the optional activities to not be provided online
• What is Emergency Care
• My child did not receive an invitation to a class and missed it
• My child’s work was not marked. If the work is not going to be marked could the answers be sent directly to the parents?
• Please provide the answers to the problems given in xxxxxx.
• Question regarding language assignments, books, or assessments.

Our KPRs have done a tremendous job holding coffee mornings and collating information. Please use them as a system for a class-wide, department-wide, or school-wide issue. Specific questions can be addressed in a more timely manner by following the GSIS communication flow chart. 

As always, we will compile answers to all KPR Topics presented and share the draft with the class KPRs. The answers will come from class teachers, specialists, HoD/DHoD and members of the SMT. During the KPR meeting, we discuss responses to department or school-wide issues and update information in the KPR Topics list. A copy of these responses will be provided to you by your class KPR along with the minutes of the meeting. If you believe a topic was not answered either during this meeting or past meetings, please contact me directly at kcunningham@gsis.edu.hk, and I will be happy to assist you. 

Kim Cunningham Head of English Primary Department Email

Donna Morley Deputy Head of English Primary Department Email

Secondary Corner