Please click to download the 2024/25 Hillside Calendar. You can also access the school calendar via the ESF App.

13 September: Mid-Autumn Celebrations (Causal Dress Day)

27 September:  Parent Webinar: Chinese at Hillside (Details to follow)

7-11 October: Mid-Term Break

Dear Hillside Families

We hope this newsletter finds you and your families safe and sound, having weathered the recent typhoon. The beginning of this school year has certainly been a test of our resilience, with this interruption soon after the children have settled. 

We have some important updates and reminders below as we settle into the school routine, so please take a few minutes to read through them.

Warm regards
Audrey

It has come to our attention that there are a number of WhatsApp groups in our community. We appreciate the class WhatsApp groups, which are helpful for sharing information about events, support info, and class socials. Within interactions, assume positive intent and maintain a positive tone. Stay solution-focused. We want to remind our community of a few safeguarding guidelines as outlined in our Parent Handbook. Please get in touch with the school or your class teacher directly for the most accurate information.

Please keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Confidentiality is key 
• Treat others with respect - i.e. Respect the beliefs, cultures and opinions of others even if you disagree
• Use non-judgmental, respectful language
• Photographs and Filming – Due to child protection and confidentiality, staff are responsible for protecting the privacy of children, families, and their work colleagues. In the spirit of building community, individual or group photos of the children in class might be shared at times. However, these photographs should be for private or personal use and not shared or forwarded to a public forum without consent.

We take safeguarding responsibilities seriously and will deal with any reported incidents appropriately. Our Child Protection Officers are Laura Bousfield (Vice Principal) and Audrey Tang (Principal).

The Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) announced the new Student Grant Scheme. The government's Student Grant Scheme applies to every student attending a Secondary, Primary, or Kindergarten school in Hong Kong, making them eligible for a HK$2,500 grant payment. This scheme applies to ESF and all of our schools. Click here to see the information from the Education Bureau (EDB). 

Returning K2 families (for families who applied for the grant last year):

Parents are encouraged to use the e-submission platform to submit the 2024-25 student grant application for students studying in the same school in the previous school year. The e-platform will open at 6:00 am on 13 September 2024 and close after 11:59 pm on 2 October 2024. For more information on e-submission, please refer to the Parent's Guide. 

K1 families or any brand new K2 families (For families applying for the first time or if your child has just joined our school this academic year):

You will need to complete Form A  (will be available in October 2024) 

We will send parents a separate App message reminder closer to the time. The deadline for the paper form is November 2024.

During their Chinese day, your child will learn about the Mid-Autumn Festival through stories and various learning engagements over the next few weeks. We have planned a Dress Casual Day on Friday, September 13, to share the festivities and fun with the whole school community. 

Instead of their regular school uniform, we invite children to wear bright and colourful clothes and the option to bring their own lanterns to school. Some children might have made their own paper lanterns at school earlier in the week, and they're most welcome to showcase these! If your child brings a store-bought lantern, please ensure it is child-friendly, safe, and easy to handle. We kindly request parents and carers label their child's lantern with their name and class to avoid confusion. We look forward to our first Dress Casual day of the year!

The ESF Admissions Team has prepared important information for our current K2 parents regarding the Y1 transfer form, which will secure your child's mainstream Y1 position in primary school for the upcoming academic year.

We highly recommend that all parents watch the instructional video before completing the Y1 transfer form.

• K2-Y1 Transfer Application Process Video 
• K2 to Y1 Presentation Slides
• FAQs for K2-Y1 Allocation

The application period to submit the transition form is from 1-16 September 2024, with a final submission deadline of 16 September 2024. Each K2 student must submit a transfer form to express their interest in securing a Y1 place for the next academic year. The Admissions team will send the Y1 offer letters in late November, and deposits will be payable in early December.

Following the removal of the previous geographical or "zoning" requirement, families now have the opportunity to apply to any of our 22 schools. For more information on individual schools, kindly refer to the Primary School Open Days and Webinars list or contact the respective school directly.

The transition from Y6 to Y7 follows the “associated secondary school” model. Please click here for more information on transition to secondary schools. If you have any further questions, please get in touch with the ESF Primary Admissions Team at primary.admissions@esfcentre.edu.hk  

We understand the excitement and joy birthdays and special celebrations bring our children. To promote sustainability and ensure the safety of our children, please refrain from sending goody bags to school.

We believe focusing on the experience and creating lasting memories together is more meaningful than material items. A friendly reminder about our policy on goody bags:

Parent Handbook 
Inclement Weather Arrangements
NEW School Uniform
Pre-loved Uniform Swap
Please contact kinder@hillside.edu.hk for any general enquiries.