Newsletter #1
Beacon Hill School latest newsletter available to read now. Find out the latest news around the school and upcoming events.
Principal’s Words
Important Dates
SEN News
PTA News
Other News
Dear Parents,
The summer holidays have come to an end – school is back! Visiting all the classrooms, being on the playground (when it hasn’t been raining this week!) and talking to the students, I know they have enjoyed fabulous holidays but are also very excited to be back at school! It is wonderful to see the school full of children again with happy smiling faces. I know the teachers and staff have been working really hard to get ready for the new academic year and it promises to be yet another busy and exciting year ahead with lots of great learning.
I apologise – being the first Newsletter, there is a lot to share and therefore it is very long! I will do my best to keep them brief in future!
We have many new children and and some new adults joining Beacon Hill School for the first time. I’d like to welcome them all and hope we can get to know each other well over the coming weeks. Apart from all our wonderful new Year 1 students who joined us this week and other students in different year groups, we also have some new staff members joining the Beacon Hill family. I’d like to welcome Mr Andy Thompson who joins us as Vice Principal, having responsibility for the PYP / Curriculum. Mr Thompson has worked for ESF for many years, at Quarry Bay School and Kowloon Junior School. For this year Ms Chung, Vice Principal will be responsible for students in Years 1 to 3 whilst Mr Pheasant will be responsible for students in Years 4 to 6, allowing Mr Thompson to focus on the continuing development and strengthening of our curriculum.
Ms Haymen Mak has joined us from the UK and will be working as the Learning Support Teacher in Years 3 and 4. Ms Rhona Barr, who taught our PMP last year will be working in Years 1 and 2 as the Learning Support Teacher. Mr Lowe is now working at Beacon Hill full time so we are very excited about what he will add to the students’ experiences. Jocelyn Hoe will again be working with us on a part-time basis, providing extra support to our younger students learning Chinese.
Uniform
I have been very impressed this week by how smart the children are in their uniforms. Thank you to our PTA and the volunteers who gave up their time this week and last to ensure the shop was fully operational and able to assist parents with uniform purchases.
I will be keeping a close eye on this through the year to make sure that we maintain this excellent start, with your child wearing the correct uniform including shoes. As always please ensure all items of uniform are labelled with your child’s name and class.
Janley, our PTA Coordinator, has informed me that there have been several inquiries regarding the purchase of jackets. The PTA is not able to stock the entire range of summer and winter uniform throughout the year. As the weather gets cooler, then these warmer items will become available. Please refer to our Uniform list in the BHS Parent Handbook which can be viewed on the website – https://www.beaconhill.edu.hk/parent-handbook-2015-2016/ I also understand that the BHS Bag has sold out and some year 6 students may not yet have one. We will look into some alternative options for these few children.
Coincidentally, I have met with a couple of BHS parents this week who operate a company that sells high quality shoes and they are pleased to offer a special service to all BHS parents. Karaso has kindly agreed to donate 10% of the proceeds from sales to BHS parents, to the BHS PTA meaning you can get school shoes for your child whilst supporting the school. A special promo code needs to be used when ordering: BHSKARASO. They have an online store but you can also visit them to try out the sizes. The company is Karaso: https://www.karasoflex.com/ We have some samples available to look at outside our PTA Shop. Please note that this is an extra option available to parents and that the PTA is not able to provide assistance with any orders or questions about the shoes.
(Please note that this is an external company not affiliated to BHS or the BHS PTA).
Healthy Snacks
We encourage and support the children bringing healthy snacks to school. Please use the start of the school year to make a commitment to ensure your child has healthy snacks rather than cakes, cookies and chips. It’s also timely to remind you that BHS is a ‘nut free zone’ as we have several students who are allergic to nuts and some can have serious reactions.
Student Leave
As a general rule we expect students to attend school all year unless they are unwell. Occasionally there are special events that have to be attended. Please email me directly if you need to take your child out of school for more than a couple of days. Clearly, the more time they are away from school the more they miss and the nature of our teaching philosophy and programme means that work cannot be sent home to compensate. You can contact me at james.harrison@bhs.edu.hk
Parent Information Workshops
We are finalising dates for our series of Parent Information Workshops that will be offered throughout the school year. We are tailoring these to meet requests made in our survey last year. I will share all of the dates and themes in the next Newsletter but we will also notify you of the workshops a week or two ahead of time and request you to sign up if you wish to attend. We hope you will find them informative and helpful in allowing you to support your child at home.
Updated Weather Procedures
To try and ensure the children are safe, healthy and ready to learn we have introduced some new measures regarding air quality and heat. Essentially, the type and/or amount of outdoor play will be reduced depending on the Air Quality Index and a Heat Index. You can access the policy via our our website: https://www.beaconhill.edu.hk/other-information/ This information has been shared with all of the children. We will review the policy throughout the year to ensure it meets our needs.
The Education Bureau (EDB) has updated its procedures when there are Rainstorm Warnings. You can view the important information here: http://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/news012/Leaflet_16-17_Eng%20(Revised).pdf The main change is the timings of when red or black rainstorm warnings are issued. Please take a moment to study the information. In the case of any school closure we will put an announcement on our school website.
BHS Teacher-Led After School Clubs
Teachers will announce when these will start over the next few weeks and letters will be sent home to those children who express an interest in joining them. A list of all clubs offered by our teachers and EAs will be available on our website in a couple of weeks. Please encourage your child to join one or two that they are interested in.
BHS House Teams
This year we are introducing a House Teams system to Beacon Hill School. There will be four different teams with all of the children being allocated to one. We will be sharing details of this exciting initiative with the children and parents over this half term. The system will begin on October 18th after the half term holiday when children will be earning house points. Watch out for more details.
BHS Community Choir
Last January we held the inaugural meeting of the BHS Community Choir and went on to perform at the International Food Fair, the Chinese New Year show and the Summer Music Concert. The choir will re-form this year, starting on Thursday October 20th at 7pm. Everyone is welcome – no experience necessary! New and existing members are very welcome. Please click on this link to register: https://goo.gl/forms/fERvdJNghaaC1YYa2
Central Applications – Year 1(2012 Birth) for August 2017-2018 admission – Online Admissions System (OS) Application for New Year 1 (2012 Birth)
If you are applying for Year 1 for August 2017 entry for a sibling born in 2012, the application period is from 1-30 September 2016. Applications received after 30 September 2016 are considered LATE and placed on the waiting list with the date received recorded. Applications are submitted through the ESF Online Application System.
For application guidelines and details please refer to ESF website at www.esf.edu.hk under admissions. If you have any enquiry or questions regarding the ESF primary application process, please email: admissions@esfcentre.edu.hk or call the ESF Admissions hotline at 3762-2411.
The ESF application fee is HK$2000. (Effective from 1 September 2013) This is a non-refundable, non-transferable administration fee which covers the cost of processing the application. Parents must apply and pay the application fee using the Online Admissions System.
Your application must be sent by ‘registered mail’ to the English Schools Foundation, Central Admissions for Year 1 ,25/F, 1063 King's Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong for application to be completed. Supporting documents listed below should be received by the English Schools Foundation no later than 7 October 2016 for Central Application processing.
- Copy of completed ‘Online Application’ form or the Application slip/ acknowledgement email;
- Copy of application fee online payment result;
- Copy of child’s school/kindergarten reports for the last two years;
- Copy of student’s birth certificate;
- Copy of student’s passport (including the current visa status for Hong Kong);
- Copy of parent’s passports (including current visa status in Hong Kong);
- Copy of parent’s and child’s identity cards, if applicable as residing in Hong Kong;
- Details of parent attendance at ESF primary/secondary school (if applicable)
- Two proof of HK address documents – a stamped copy of tenancy or purchase agreement plus a utility bill or bank statement;
- Two student’s passport quality photographs showing his/her frontal face with clear facial features,
- measuring 4cm (width) x 5cm (height);
**An application with insufficient supporting documents or non-payment of fee will not be processed.
Should you have any enquiries, please contact ESF by the following methods:
- Email to admissions@esfcentre.edu.hk with the subject REQUEST FOR ESF APPLICATION FORM
- Hotline on 3762 2411 during office hours
BHS is a busy place. We try our best to keep you informed of what is happening but rely on you to check the website or our app to keep up-to-date. Below are some of the upcoming dates you should be aware of:
IMPORTANT DATES
| AUGUST | |
| 22nd | Y3 excursion to the Airport |
| 25th | Prospective Parent Tours of BHS |
| 29th | Year 1s begin whole day schooling |
| 30th | New Parents Wine and Cheese – 5pm-6pm (organised by the PTA) |
| 30th | Meet the Teacher Evening 6.00 – 6.45 – Years 1 to 3 6:30 – 7.15 – Years 4 to 6 |
| SEPTEMBER | |
| 2nd | Year 2 excursion to LEAP |
| 2nd | Parent Information Workshop – Risk Assessments (for those wishing to volunteer for class excursions) – 2pm |
| 5th | Year 1 PIPS baseline assessments; Year 3 InCAS assessments |
| 7th | Year 6 swimming |
| 8th | PTA Meeting, 3.30pm |
| 9th | 3D Class Assembly, 9am |
| 9th | PTA Social Event – Bowling |
| 10th (Saturday) | BHS CPD Day for teachers |
| 12th | Year 2 excursion to Inspiration Lake |
| 12th | School Council Meeting, 5pm |
| 14th | Year 6 swimming |
| 15th | PTA Mid-Autumn Market |
| 16th | Public Holiday (Day after Mid-Autumn Festival) – School Closed |
The Year Group Weekly Updates and Single Subject Monthly Updates are available on the school website – so please remember to refer to the website each week to learn about what is happening in your child’s class.
Best wishes,
_
James Harrison
Principal
Parent Workshop with Michelle Garcia
ESF will be hosting a free parent workshop with Michelle Garcia Winner, founder of Social Thinking. An opportunity not to be missed.
Date: Thursday 8 September
Time: 6.30-8.00pm
Venue: ESF Centre, 25/F 1063 King’s Road, Quarry Bay
Cost: Free for ESF parents
Workshop description:
The Social – Academic Connection Through The Lens Of Social Thinking
We will explore how social cognition lays the foundation for the development of critical thinking and our social competencies. Having social emotional learning challenges is not just a problem of making and keeping friends but can also impact a student’s ability to engage in reading comprehension of literature, written expression, narrative language, organisational skills and working as part of a group.
Lessons in perspective taking and executive functioning can be helpful to guide a student’s better understanding of others’ points of view as well as to self-manage their own assignments. Today’s challenge of our students’ desire to engage in screen time will also be touched upon. We will discuss a few ideas on teaching students about how they can set goals, explore related action plans and what it means to self-regulate their behaviour in order to achieve their goals.
Find more information about Social Thinking at www.socialthinking.com
Sign up is via a Google Form via the following link:
Please note that places are limited and sign up is first come first served.
Greetings to our new families & Welcome Back to our supportive Y2-Y6 families!
We look forward to seeing the new exciting improvements in the playground & within BHS in the new school year.
Reminders:
- DeliFresh hot lunches will start in the month of September. Therefore, home packed lunches will be required for the month of August. The September 2016 lunch order deadline has lapsed this week, thus please contact DeliFresh directly for lunch order plus payment receipt and their direct order confirmation for your child before September. There will not be extra lunches provided without paid orders.
- Uniform Shop will be open Monday-Friday until September 2 2016, 8:15am-10:00am, thereafter Normal Uniform Shop hours apply.
- For New Parents, please RSVP to the BHS PTA Wine & Cheese Welcome on Tuesday 30 August 2016 5:00-6:30pm per your Invitation sent home with your child. This event will coincide with your Meet the Teacher evening for all year groups.
- BHS Welcome Social Bowling evening on Fri 9 September 2016 will sure to be an enjoyable evening for our BHS families. This is a great way to socialize and meet fellow parents & teachers in a relaxed & fun environment. Don’t hesitate to RSVP & order for the whole family!…wristbands are limited!
- 2016/17 BHS PTA fees of $350 per family will be collected by BHS office, together with excursion fees. Appreciate your support of the BHS PTA.
To find out more about what we do and how you can get involved or support us to enrich your child’s experience at BHS, please visit www.beaconhill.edu.hk/pta-2/. Our Annual General Meeting for voting of the 2016/17 Executive Committee members will occur on Tuesday 4 October 2016.
Enjoy your weekend,
Rowena Chow
Chair, BHS PTA
Important Information for Year 6 Parents
Prospective Parents of KGV 2017-18
Prospective parents are invited to attend the KGV Year 6 Parent Information and Middle School Curriculum Evening, 5-6pm on the 7th of September.
It will be held in the Hall at KGV School.
Please note there is no visitor parking on the school site. For any enquiries, please contact sarah.jones@kgv.edu.hk
Chad Pheasant
Vice Principal
Supply Educational Assistants
Dear Parents,
Are you interested in working as an Educational Assistant at Beacon Hill School? We need enthusiastic, energetic people who are prepared to be called on (sometimes at short notice) to cover in the event of staff absence. If you enjoy working with young children and would like to be part of our team, please send a short letter along with your CV and contact details to susan.chung@bhs.edu.hk
Working as a supply educational assistant is a good way to gain the experience required to be considered for any positions advertised in the future.
All applicants must be holders of a valid work visa in Hong Kong and have a good standard of spoken English.
Susan Chung
Vice Principal
Disclaimer: Beacon Hill School and the English School Foundation do not recommend or endorse any external events in this newsletter. There is no contractual arrangement between BHS/ESF and the event organisers.
