Click to download the 2022-23 Hillside Calendar. You can also access the school calendar via the ESF App.

23 August - 2 September: K1 Induction Period

1-16 September: K2 to Y1 Mainstream Transition Application

14 September: Parent Webinar - What is the PYP? (For anyone new to PYP)

15 September: Parent Webinar - Guardianship (external speaker)

Dear Parents

We have had a wonderful start to the new school year. The K2 floor is buzzing with energy, and the children are ready to learn, whilst the majority of the K1s have settled well into the new routines, with just a handful of new children still adjusting to the new environment. Thank you for your support in making this smooth start to the academic year.

We anticipate that more children will be travelling on the school bus from now on, and there will be fewer non-bus children/ walkers. Always have your pick-up cards with you when you collect your child at school or from the school bus for safety reasons. We are still learning to recognise all the families. If you plan to change your child's going home arrangements, you must inform the bus company and the school Admin Team (via the app) or call us for any last-minute changes.

Kind regards
Audrey

Over the past few days, we have been liaising with Kwoon Chung (KCM), our outsourced bus company.  From our understanding, more families have signed up for the bus service To accommodate new subscriptions from September onwards, KCM might need some time to re-assign larger buses or re-route some bus lines; hence, they are yet to confirm the final start date for these new sign-ups.

Knowing KCM services numerous schools across Hong Kong, we have requested that they pay attention to details, particularly to do with safety concerns. For example, all parties hold the most up-to-date and accurate information: name lists, bus timetables, and bus stops. We also provided feedback on communication - while we appreciate that they are inundated with enquiries, it is important to maintain and provide timely communication.

At the start of every school year, we observe that the city will take some time to absorb the school traffic and adjust to the bus routes and routines. We will continue to follow up with KCM as we work through the bus arrangements, and we ask you to please bear with us in the interim.

As part of this partnership, our K2 children will participate in weekly PE sessions with the Bradbury PE teachers Ally Maclay and Pete Smith, commencing this week This will take place in the Bradbury Y1 undercover playground, which can be directly connected to the Hillside ground floor access. Our K2 teachers will work collaboratively with the Bradbury team to support the children during these sessions. We hope this will enhance the children’s PE experience and support the transition to Y1. 

What is the PYP? (especially for K1 families and anyone new to the PYP) 

14 September 2022 @1pm

In the session, our PYP Coordinator, Brenda Yuen, will talk about “What is the PYP?” and what does it look like in the early years and at Hillside? Is it just playing? Join us to learn more about our curriculum and for some ideas and activities to connect your child's learning between home and school. 

Zoom link [Web Link]

Guardianship in HK

15 September 2022 @4pm

In this session, Anisha Ramanathan, Senior Associate at Withers, will explore what you need to know about guardianship in Hong Kong, which has become a prevalent issue given Covid-19 government guidelines in Hong Kong that have impacted children and families, such as separation of child(ren) from their parents. Anisha is one of our parents within our community, and she has kindly offered to share her expertise, as we know this was a topic of discussion as families navigate through Covid-19 times.
The effect of guardianship is that the guardian will assume all parental rights and authority over the minor, and the court can authorise the guardian to be paid remuneration for the guardianship service if appropriate. The guardian will have all the rights, powers and duties of the minor’s estate and has the right to receive and recover property to which the minor is entitled on his behalf. This webinar will provide an outline of the importance of having guardianship documents in place, practical tips for parents to ensure care of family members, and answer any questions you may have.

Registration link: [Web Link]

At Hillside, we are extremely fortunate to have a large outdoor play area that backs onto a lovely natural green space. However, this does mean mosquitoes and midges will be around. 

We work with an exterminator year-round, including weekly fogging out in the playground, drains, and other common breeding grounds. We also have mosquito-repelling lanterns and industrial fans, but we highly recommend that everyone applies insect repellent before heading off to school. Sometimes natural repellents don’t last as long as chemical products, so we must reapply. Roll-on ones are very child-friendly, and we noticed children could manage this independently. You can also apply repellent to clothing rather than directly to the skin. We’ve noticed some bites have penetrated through clothing!

Some children are more susceptible than others and can develop very itchy red lumps around the bites. We will apply an ice pack at school for these children to help reduce the swelling.