Newsletter #9
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
Sports
PTA News
ESF News
Other News
Dear Parents,
I hope you have enjoyed a successful week.
Giving Back to our Community: Colours Day
I can now reveal the grand total of our sponsored events in the week before half term. Together we have raised a grand total of HK$157,371.10. This is phenomenal! Thank you for being so supportive. We will keep you updated about the food parcels – the date for putting them together is Friday 8th December.
In addition to the great community work we are doing we are once again participating in the annual ‘Box of Hope’ campaign. Box of Hope is an annual charity project aimed at providing useful/educational gifts to underprivileged children in Hong Kong and Asia donated by Hong Kong school children and local organisations. You fill old shoe boxes with NEW interesting and EDUCATIONAL gifts at home and drop them off at school by Monday 6th November. The boxes are then collected and delivered directly to the children in need. Some of these children have never received a gift. Each child at BHS will be given an A5 sticker to bring home which has ideas about items that can be included in the box. It would be great if each family could donate a box of gifts. The website gives more information: http://boxofhope.org/home/main/en/
Today all ESF teachers and educational assistants have been participating in a day of professional training in the important area of ‘Wellbeing’. We are sure that this will support us in our ongoing work to ensure our children are prepared for the challenges that face us every day.
IMPORTANT DATES
Parent Information Evenings Offered This Term
Please look out for emails asking you to sign up for these.
Student Achievement Beyond School
Congratulations to Charlotte Kan (6Y) who represented the 61st scout group in the Hong Kong Scout Swimming Competition on the 5th of October. She was awarded two bronze medals, one for 50 metres freestyle, and the other one for 50 metres breaststroke. Well done Charlotte!
Community Choir
Our BHS Community Choir began again this week on Thursday. Please sign up if you would like to come along. The evenings are fun and casual and no prior singing or performing experience is necessary.
https://goo.gl/forms/INxcht0TaEQXvyFR2
The Year Group Weekly Updates and Single Subject Monthly Updates are available on the school website – so please remember to refer to the website or our app (https://www.beaconhill.edu.hk/mobile-app/ ) each week to learn about what is happening in your child’s class.
I look forward to seeing many of you on Sunday at the ESF Charity Run Event.
May I wish all our families who celebrate a happy Diwali.
_
James Harrison
Principal
News from the English Team
50th Anniversary Story Writing Competition
As part of our school celebrations we will be running a writing competition. Open to all age groups the children are asked to write a story in only 50 words. Their story can be about anything and written in any genre. We know that many of our Year One children are not writing independently yet so they are welcome to have their story written down for them by an adult, but it must be their idea.
All entries to the competition should be handed to me in the library, either electronically or on paper, by the start of December. jevese2@beaconhill.edu.hk There will be prizes for winners in each year group and the writing will be shared with the whole Beacon Hill community.
The English team look forward to seeing how creative the students can be.
Mother tongue book donations
A huge THANK YOU to the families of
- Linda and Rachel Shin in Year 5 and Year 4
- Hena and Sera Yang in Year 5
- Gabrielle Chu in Year 2
- Sho and Rei Kitamura in Year 6 and Year 4
- Muchan Kim in Year 5
- Ally Yeoh in Year 1
for their generous donations of books to the library. It is really appreciated and the children in school now have more wonderful books in Korean, Chinese and Japanese to read.
Reading Information Evening
Thank you to all the parents and helpers who attended our reading information sessions this week. These were an opportunity for us to share how we teach reading at school and give suggestions about how you can support your child at home. The parents and helpers took part in some mini lessons designed to show how we teach some of the comprehension strategies at school. In future newsletters we will share some strategies that you could use at home to help your child develop comprehension. One of our key points was that reading at home should be fun, it shouldn’t be seen as a chore by you or the child. Keep the session light, short and if your child doesn’t finish the book don’t worry, it is the talking about what you are reading that is most important.
Scholastic Online Book Club
Thank you so much to everyone who placed their orders online for Scholastic books this time. The order has been submitted and should arrive in the next 2-3 weeks. Over $20,000 worth of books were ordered which means $4,000 worth of free books for BHS! We have used this money to order books to supplement the Learning Centre collection and to add to class book corners across the school, so thank you very much indeed.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any feedback, positive or negative, about the new online Book Club system as this will inform how we proceed in future.
Family borrowing
A reminder that you can become a family member of our school library, the registration form can be found at https://www.beaconhill.edu.hk/letterspage/
Our family borrowing times are as follows:
| Before school | After school | |
| Monday | 8.30-9.00am | 2.45-3.30pm |
| Tuesday | 8.30-9.00am | |
| Wednesday | 8.30-9.00am | 2.45-3.30pm |
| Thursday | 8.30-9.00am | |
| Friday | 8.30-9.00am |
However if you are in school as a volunteer during the day please feel free to come along then.
As always if you have any questions and queries about English at school or the library contact me Emily Jeves at jevese2@beaconhill.edu.hk.
UOI Reports on the Gateway for Year 3-6
Dear Parents,
The report for your child’s first unit of inquiry is now open for viewing on the Gateway. To do so, you will need to:
- Log on to the Gateway – tg.esf.edu.hk
- Click on the ARR tab and Click on ARR Report
- Click on the Printing Tab
- Select the current year (2017/18)
- Select your child’s name
- Select UOI comments
Please remember to share this with your child also.
Year 1 & 2 Parents, you will receive a separate email regarding access to your child’s UOI report from the Beacon.
Kind regards,
Susan Chung
Vice Principal
School Photographs 23rd – 24th October 2017
Our school photographer will be in Beacon Hill on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th October. All children should come to school in their school uniform on these days. If your child has PE on Monday or Tuesday then please make sure that they bring their PE kit to school and they will be able to change at school.
Siblings Photographs
For those of you who have more than one child at Beacon Hill the siblings photographs will be taken on Friday 27th October. If you would like a sibling photograph then please click on the link below and fill in the online form to book a space.
https://goo.gl/forms/bdCfnkhWNvy46ank2
If you have any questions then please email Mr. Pheasant: chad.pheasant@bhs.edu.hk
Chad Pheasant
Vice Principal
Sunshine Action Fund Raising
I am very pleased to announce, thanks to your generosity and the hard work of our students, we raised $150000. This is a tremendous sum and I think it shows what a special community we belong to. We can now start to purchase the food so on 8th December our students can work with Sunshine Action at school to make the food parcels for the different charities. To help our students with the food parcels we need parent volunteers, approximately 30. These parents will be working with groups of students to help them make the food parcels. If you are interested please click here.
Andy Thompson
Vice Principal
Professor Peter Sullivan
Peter Sullivan is Professor of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, at Monash University in Australia. He is the immediate past President of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers and was the lead writer of the Australian Mathematics curriculum.
Professor Sullivan is one of the world’s leading authorities in Mathematics, and will be making his a visit to Beacon Hill School this November. During his visit, Professor Sullivan will work alongside the teachers to challenge all our students to reach their full potential in Mathematics through the use of open-ended, rich learning tasks and problems.
We are thrilled to announce that Professor Sullivan will run a workshop for parents in order to enhance your understanding of how you may help your children in the development of Mathematical thinking. This is for parents only, there is no need for children to attend.
An e-notice will be sent to all parents, please let us know if you are attending.
We look forward to seeing you at the workshop.
ESF Primary Schools/ BHS 50th Anniversary Football Tournament
Last Friday the boys and girls football teams participated in the ESF Primary Schools/Beacon Hill 50th Anniversary football tournament. This was our first tournament of the year and both the boys and girls teams played very well. The girls team made it all the way to the cup final and for the second year in a row lost on penalties to Kennedy. The boys team started slowly and improved throughout the tournament and also were knocked out by penalties in the plate semi final.
The girls team scored an amazing 22 goals in their group matches. Mia and Rei both scoring 3 hat-tricks in their group games. Sophia also scored her first Beacon Hill goal. The team were so dominant our goalkeeper, Stella, did not touch the ball in the first four games. In the semi final we played against the Peak and we won 4 nil to set up the final against Kennedy. Both teams were strong and Beacon Hill took an early lead and with only a few minutes left Kennedy equalised which meant the game had to go to penalties. Kennedy ended up winning 3-2. Thanks to Miss Mak and all the parents who came to cheer on the girls.
The boys team started well in their first game against Clearwater Bay but just couldn’t score and the opposition scored from their only chance. Against the Peak school it was an even game with the Peak winning two nil. Maxi making one of the best saves ever! In the last group game we finally scored to beat Shatin B 2-1. That win put us into the plate competition and we scored 4 great goals against Glenealy B. The semi final against Discovery College was an exciting game and had to be settled by penalties. Discovery College beat us 3-2 to progress to the final. Thanks to Mr Thompson and the parents who came to support us.
Results (Girls)
| BHS vs Quarry Bay | 5 – 0 | Mia 3 Rei 2 |
| BHS vs Shatin | 7 – 0 | Mia 3 Rei 3 Sophia |
| BHS vs RCHK B | 8 – 0 | Rei 4 Mis 3 Sophia |
| BHS vs Clearwater Bay | 3 – 0 | Rei 3 |
| Cup Semi BHS vs Peak | 6 – 0 | Mia 5 Rei |
| Cup Final BHS vs Kennedy | 1 – 1 (2 – 3 on penalties) | Mia |
Results (Boys)
| BHS vs Clearwater Bay | 0 – 1 | |
| BHS vs Peak | 0 – 2 | |
| BHS vs Shatin B | 2 – 1 | Josh Jayden |
| Plate Quarter BHS vs Glenealy | 4 – 0 | OG 2 Josh Jayden |
| Plate Semi BHS vs Discovery College | 1 – 1 (1 – 3 on penalties) | Sho |
Official photographs can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0By1MTgOQJS6sd2VoTkI0M01lbGc
For more photos, click HERE.
Uniform Shop
Winter Uniform order forms are available in the foyer. You can fill in the forms and hand them into reception. We will then process them and send direct to classroom. Please ensure the correct total is written on cheques, with name, class and tel no. on the back. Please also include $0.5 for the plastic bag levy so we can package up your order.
Samples of all sizes are available to view outside the uniform shop.
If you wish to buy directly from the uniform shop we shall re-open at its normal hours from 23 October as follows:
Mornings : Monday – Friday, except Tuesday, 8:15-9:15
Afternoons : Monday and Friday only 2:45-3:15
DeliFresh
Deli Fresh hot lunch orders for November 2017 has now lapsed. If you have not handed in the form and still wish to order, pls contact DeliFresh directly for processing.
Regards
BHS PTA
ESF 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner
To round off ESF’s 50th Anniversary you are invited to the Gala Dinner.
DETAILS
Date: Wednesday, 6 December 2017
Time: 7:00pm (Reception begins at 6pm)
Venue: Grand Ballroom, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)
Early Bird Price: $1,700 (early bird offer valid until 1st November 2017)
Sales of tickets and further information are already available through ESF website at http://www.esf.edu.hk/gala
This should be an occasion to remember and a wonderful way to conclude the ESFs celebrations. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Steven Szeto or Ally Shum at esf.50@esfcentre.edu.hk
Health
Immunization Records
All documents submitted by parents or guardians, they will be returned to your child via their class teachers or their class educational assistants the week starting Monday, 30 October 2017.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD)
Further to our newsletter #8 dated 13 October 2017, we would like to inform you of the fact that one student is on sick leave diagnosed with this disease on last Saturday, 14 October 2017. The child experienced fever, skin rash on hands and feet and reddish mouth.
Other symptoms of HFMD may include sore throat, (painful) mouth ulcers and skin rash with vesicles on hands and feet.
If, you suspect that the child has HFMD, please consult the doctor for confirmation of diagnosis.
The sick child /ren should refrain from school and to return to school as per doctor’s advice.
Please closely monitor other children in the family.
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.
