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

6 December: Parent Webinar: Self-Regulation (12noon)

15 December: Family Fun Picnic at Repulse Bay (Details to follow)

16 December: Staff Meeting Day (No Classes)

19 December: Winter Break Commences (School Closed)

9 January: Term 2 Begins. Classes Resume

Dear Hillside families

As we head into December, we have a very busy few weeks ahead. Please take a few minutes to read this newsletter and note the upcoming events.

Last week, the K2 children had a wonderful excursion at the K11 to learn about different designs and sculptures and think about the creative process as part of their inquiry into How the World Works. Next week, the K1 children will experience an incursion on 6 December to learn about marine life from a marine biologist, Estelle Davies, as part of their current inquiry on Sharing the Planet. We hope to arrange more excursion or incursion opportunities for the children as restrictions ease up around Hong Kong, and we thank our parents once again for your support.

Warm regards
Audrey

We cordially invite all families to join us at our Hillside Winter Picnic on Thursday, 15 December.  This has been a popular community event in previous years, and we are very excited to have this return. We will run two separate sessions for the morning and afternoon classes. 

Please complete the trip eNotice to confirm your attendance. You can access the Gateway eNotice via the ESF App, and see a “new eNotice to fill in now.”

The logistics:

• We will meet all families directly at Repulse Bay beach.

• 9:30-11:15am (morning classes) and 12:30-2:15pm (afternoon classes)

• Meet your class teacher by your class picnic area for a quick briefing and greeting.

• Your class teacher will provide you with a set of instructions to go on a scavenger hunt along the beach.

• After the hunt, everyone can return to their class picnic area to socialise and spread some holiday cheer. 

What to bring:

• Wear your choice of Christmas colours

• Water and a light snack

• A picnic mat

• Buckets and spades

• Sunscreen and sunhats

We are looking forward to seeing you all!

It has been a Hillside tradition to foster the spirit of giving every Christmas. Not only does this tradition create a connection with our learning community, it also transfers our learning into an “action.” 

Action is an integral part of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and an opportunity for children to make a meaningful contribution to their community and also be change-makers. 

We would like to take action and give back to our local community by supporting Rebooked, a non-profit social enterprise founded and managed by students! Their goal is to extend the shelf life of a book by providing a convenient and eco-friendly platform for books to be reused and enjoyed by other young readers. The books are also shared with NGOs and community partners as a way to support early literacy for the underprivileged children. Watch this short video of Stripey & Kuma visiting Rebooked!

Building on our sustainability principles, please donate slightly used pre-loved English books to bring joy to a new reader. If you’re interested in purchasing, please head over to Rebooked. Our Christmas appeal will run until Monday 12 December. 

Festive dates for your diary! Let's support our fantastic Beacon Hill School student choir, which is performing across Hong Kong on various dates in December. 

We are pleased to invite you to a series of webinars specially curated for our parents by SPOT. 

The first of the series is on Supporting Children's Self-regulation.
When: Tuesday, 6 December 2022, 12-1pm
Description

Clare Watt is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist with SPOT Children's Centre, Hong Kong. With over 14 years of clinical experience working with both adults and children, Clare will share her knowledge of Self Regulation and the relationship between regulation and learning. The objectives of the talk will be to;

• Understand the meaning of 'regulation'

• Develop a deeper understanding of both Emotional and Sensory Regulation 
• Be able to identify regulation challenges in our children
• Start to develop your own 'toolbox' of regulation strategies for families to use at home

This talk would be beneficial to parents, aunties and indeed any other carers or professionals supporting our children's self-regulation and learning. 

Click Here to Register

Other upcoming sessions include:
Title: Developing Language Skills (and the impact from COVID)
When: Monday, 20 February 2023, 12-1pm
Details and registration to follow.

Title: Why Sleep Matters
When: Tuesday, 9 May 2023, 12-1pm
Details and registration to follow.