Newsletter #5
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
Around BHS
SEN News
PTA News
Other News
Dear Parents, Family and Friends,
It was great to see lots of families at the PTA Bowling social event last Friday. I hope you had a good time and got to meet some new parents. Thanks to our PTA for organising this annual event. Today we had parent volunteers helping the PTA selling lanterns and fruit in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Click HERE for photos.
“May we live long and share the beauty of the moon together, even if we are hundreds of miles apart,” says the romantic Chinese poem.
I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.
Year 1 Applications for 2017-18
If you or any friends you know are wishing to apply for a Year 1 placement for the 2017-18 academic year, an online application must be completed. You can find all the information you need to know on our website, or click HERE.
International Day of Peace
Next Wednesday 21st September is the United Nations International Day of Peace. We aren’t engaging in specific activities as a whole school to mark this day, but you may wish to raise awareness of it with your child. These two websites provides some useful information:
http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/
We will be acknowledging Universal Children’s Day which is on Sunday 20th November.
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
BHS SLT Awards
Here are the recipients of this award this week:
| Andrea Ma 1L | For remembering “It’s not I don’t know, it’s I’ll give it a go!” |
| Stephanie Lowe 2K | For her organisation and enthusiasm toward learning |
| Koji Lam | For creative ideas and good group work skills |
Congratulations to them!
IMPORTANT DATES
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 be informed about what is happening in your child’s class.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to you all. Enjoy the long weekend.
Best wishes,
_
James Harrison
Principal
2016/17 excursion levy/PTA membership fee
Parent Workshops 2016-17
Term 1
| Date | Workshop |
| 27 & 29 September | Parent Teacher Conferences |
| 3 October | Gifted & Talented – John Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth |
| 4 & 5 October | Camp Information Evenings |
| 27 October 6pm | Year 1 Maths |
| 27 October 6:45pm | Year 3 Maths |
| 27 October 7:30pm | Year 5 Maths |
| 18 October 6:30-8pm | Positive Parenting Workshop
Marie Marchand – Sibling Rivalry |
| 26 October | The Power of Play |
| 8, 10, 22 November – Day Appointments
24, 30 November – Evening Appointments |
Mandarin Parent Teacher Consultations |
| 9 November | English Reading Workshop for Helpers |
| 9 November | English Reading Workshop for Parents |
| 29 November | Introduction to PYP (Year 1 parents and new parents) |
Applications for Year 7 Places
Parents of our Year 6 students need to submit an application for a Year 7 ESF place via The Gateway between 5th September and 16th September 2016.
Information available on the ESF website at http://www.esf.edu.hk/node/5470 for key dates and http://www.esf.edu.hk/esf-zones for school zones.
An instructional guide for parents has been uploaded to the website. Go to the Admissions tab and click on ‘Year 7 applications’. Or click HERE.
Chad Pheasant
Vice Principal
Sibling Rivalry – parenting workshop with Marie Marchand
‘How to help your children live together so that you can live happily too!’
October 18th from 6.30 – 8.00pm in the BHS hall.
Please click HERE to sign up.
Last week we had a fabulous turnout for our BHS PTA Social Bowling at Magic Bowling Fun. I hope this kicks-off your interest and further enjoyment of our other BHS PTA events organized to enhance our community spirit throughout the year. Thank you for your support!
In support of our wonderful Mandarin Department, we had a festive Mid-Autumn Festival market bustling with traditional lanterns, fruits & smiles. Thank you to the Parent Volunteers and your support by giving some spending money to your children.
Hopefully we all have a glimpse of the peaceful Moon and joyful gatherings with family and friends.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
Rowena Chow
Chair, BHS PTA
Prospective Parents of Island School for 2017-18
Island School Redevelopment Update September 2016
At the start of the academic year 2016-17 it is timely to reflect on the current state of play with regard to the redevelopment of the Island School campus. We are pleased to report that both the detailed designs of the temporary school buildings and the new school itself are coming on very well and are near completion. All the preliminary drawing submissions have been approved by the relevant government departments and we are well on the way to achieving Gold Beam+ status for the new designs commitment to sustainability.
We have benefited hugely from being able to work so closely with TCA architects. They have been so committed to listening to our needs, wants and ideas. Having said all this we are no nearer receiving a final confirmation that the project can go ahead starting June 2017 and therefore cannot be 100% sure that we will be relocating for August of the same year. We are hoping that the redevelopment project, and the government funding towards the project, will be ratified by the end of this month. As soon as we have had this confirmation, we are confident that we are on track to plan a very successful approach to temporarily relocating next year.
An invitation
As we embark on what is hopefully our final year in this building prior to decant, it is vitally important that we A, plan supportive, safe and efficient strategies for student travel to and from the temporary school sites. And B, that we become more strategic and anticipatory in our planning for sustaining our school ethos and community cohesion throughout the decant period. On top of that we need to be mindful that a sensitively planned community engagement programme is essential if we are to integrate with the Tai Wai communities and develop a reciprocally beneficial relationship with the people in the areas around the temporary school sites.
We already have a small group of primary parents that wish to work with us as we contemplate the concrete details of a transport plan, but we need more prospective parents to get involved. We need to hear your views and work together with you to ensure the complete success of the temporary relocation arrangements. Please email me on gareth.stevens@online.island.edu.hk if you wish to be involved. Also if you wish to accompany us on a visit to one of the school sites on 21 Sep 2016 please let me know. The campus we will be visiting is for Years 7,8,12 and 13.
Gareth Stevens
Vice Principal, Island School
Gifted and Talented
Dear Parents,
We have spent the last year developing a Gifted and Talented policy which can be viewed on the Gateway, and outlines how we may go about identifying who those students are. Beacon Hill School is at the early stages of identification and developing a Gifted and Talented register.
As part of this development, we are offering an information evening at Beacon Hill School from a representative of the John Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth on Monday 3rd October at 6.30pm for Year 3-6 parents only. Please see details below.
Susan Chung
Vice Principal
RE: JHU-CTY 2016-17 Fall Information Session at BHS (Oct 3)
Dear Parents,
Greetings from the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)! As part of the Johns Hopkins University, CTY conducts the oldest and most extensive university-based Talent Search by offering an above-grade level testing to the 2nd to 8th graders (year 3 – 9 students) worldwide. For academically advanced students who qualify, CTY offers challenging summer and online programs.
In the coming fall, we will host an information session at Beacon Hill School (BHS). The schedule is as below:
| Date: | October 3, 2016 (Monday) |
| Time: | 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. |
| Venue: | BHS – Main Hall |
| RSVP: | https://centerfortalentedyouth.formstack.com/forms/bhs_information_session_rsvp
(Please RSVP on or before September 26) |
During the session, we will provide first-hand information about CTY summer and online programs, including their benefits to the students and how to qualify. Come and check us out! We look forward to seeing you on the day!
Best Regards,
East Asia Office (EAO)
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
Health
Head Lice
We would like to inform you of the fact that one child had head lice. The child completed the treatment at home and returned to school.
The eggs of the head lice are usually found near the root of the hair and there is the sensation of an itchy scalp.Nits are tiny and whitish, yellowish or brownish in colour.
How do you catch it?
Via direct head-to- head contact with the infested person.
The lice crawls.
If you suspect that the child has head lice, please have it treated by using medicated lotion or shampoo prescribed by the doctor to destroy the head lice. The use of a fine-toothed comb may help to remove the nits and please throw away the eggs properly. Please check the child’s hair regularly for signs of head lice. Please check your eyebrows or beard, if you have one.
Anyone may catch it.
Always Keep Hands Clean.
Thank you.
Ms Chen
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.
