Click to download the 2022-23 or the provisional 2023-24 Hillside Calendar. You can also access the school calendar via the ESF App.

15-18 May: K2 PTCs

22-25 May: Hearing Screening (Sign-ups Closed)

29 May-8 June: Developmental Screening

2 June: ESF-wide Transition Day

13 June: Save-the-date for K2 Celebration of Learning

29 June: Last School Day of Term

30 June: Summer Break Begins

Dear Hillside Families

Last Friday, Chris McLeay, the Primary Music teacher from Discovery College came to spend some time with the children as a provocation to our How We Express Ourselves unit. He explored some of his own songs from his album and used musical instruments with the children. If you want to listen to his album and enjoy these songs with your child, you can listen through this SPOTIFY link: Ta -Da!!!.

The How We Express Ourselves unit has proven to be a fun and creative unit for the children. We are excited about all this unit's various provocations, including the upcoming dance performance this Friday by our in-house ballerina, Barbara (our amazing EA), this Friday. We hope that your children came home feeling inspired and excited about what they learned and that they were able to explore their own creative potential through this unit. We believe that this unit is a wonderful way for children to express themselves and discover their own unique talents and interests.

Warm regards
Audrey

To support families with the transition to the next year-level. We would like to invite parents to post any questions or wonderings on this "Wonder Wall." You might also want to share something that "I wish I knew..." which might be helpful for new parents. 

We will try to collate a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help families prepare for the new academic year. 

For K2 children, we have been collaborating with our feeder schools and working with our primary colleagues. For example, we have shared student notes, and primary school teachers came to visit the children at kindergarten. We’re pleased to know that many ESF schools offer several induction activities/ visits to orient families before the summer, and K2 families should have received communications from the primary schools already. 

The ESF kindergarten children have always been praised (by our primary colleagues) for their inquiry skills and independence to access learning. We are very confident that the children will make a smooth transition up to primary school.

To support our current K1s moving up to K2s, we are working on an induction website to help the K1 children prepare for their new K2 experience. We are also planning an opportunity for the K1 to meet their new K2 teachers and friends. As well as visit their new classroom before the summer. More details to come in the coming weeks.

Hong Kong’s blood supplies are at extremely low levels, in particular, blood types A, B and O-negative. These shortages put lives at risk, and I know many of us will want to take action and help those in need by giving blood. 

Some good news is that more of us are now eligible to donate blood. This is due to the lifting of restrictions that prevented some former residents of the UK, Ireland and France from giving blood in Hong Kong. The ban, which was due to concerns around the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, ended in December. 

While donations of blood types A, B and O-negative are the highest priority, donors of all blood types are urgently needed to replenish Hong Kong’s heavily depleted stocks. 

ESF continues to support the Red Cross appeal with blood drives happening across the organisation. Those wanting to take immediate action in response to the city’s critical shortages can find information on how to donate on the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion website.

As you know, the ongoing necessity in Hong Kong for children to miss over 18 months of on-site school for social distancing reasons due to Covid-19 has affected young children's speech and language, motor skills, social communication and social communication and play skills. Young Folk Therapy (YFT) is partnering with Hillside Kindergarten to provide the opportunity for your child to undertake OT or SLT screening at Hillside between 29 May - 8 June.

Speech & Language (SLT) Screening:

Consists of 20 minutes screening of vocabulary, following 1-2 step instructions, understanding and answering 'wh' questions, sentence structure, articulation (does your child pronounce sounds correctly)

Occupational Therapy (OT) Screening: 

Consists of 20 minutes screening of writing/pre-writing shapes/drawing, cutting, balance, hand-eye coordination, play and attention.

What is the cost and what do I get?

1. Occupational Therapy Screening: $300
2. Speech and Language Screening: $300
3. Both OT and SLT, booked together: $550

You will receive a one page feedback form, with our recommendations and observations. 

Due to the overwhelming responses, registration is now closed, but YFL would be happy to conduct a screening at their clinic in Mong Kok. - Click HERE for more details.