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

20 September: Intro to PYP 

27 September: Parent Participation at Hillside (Details below)

29 September: Mid-Autumn's Festival Dress Casual Day

23-27 October: Mid-term Break (No School)

30 October: ESF-wide CPD (No School)

Dear Hillside Families

It has been almost a month since the start of school. We've had a few visitors from ESF Centre who cannot praise our children enough for their confidence, independence and engagement in their own learning. This reminded me of a Ted Talk: How every child can thrive by five, and I wanted to share it with our community. This 7-minute video sends a powerful message on how parents and caregivers can support children's development. Highlighting the "benefits of play on lifelong learning, behaviour and well-being, sharing effective strategies to help all kids thrive by the age of five." - Ted.com

This also resonates with the famous age-old research theory on human motivation, "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs", proposed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow. Children (and adults) need the fundamentals before self-actualisation and learning occur. 

Warm regards
Audrey

As educators, we understand the importance of keeping you informed about your child's progress in their learning and development journey. Communication is key, and we have various ways to ensure regular updates and meaningful interactions. Below is a timeline overview of how we keep you informed through various channels as we firmly commit to creating a strong two-way home-school partnership that nurtures your child's growth and development. We want to reiterate that there is no need to wait for a formal invite. Don't hesitate to contact your child's class teacher directly so we can work together to meet your child's needs.

This week and continuing into next week, your child will be learning all about the Mid-Autumn's Festival during their Chinese day through stories and various learning engagements. To share the festivities and fun with the whole school community, we have planned a Dress Casual Day on Friday, 29 September. 

Instead of their regular school uniform, we invite children to wear bright and colourful clothes, as well as 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 to label their child's lantern with their name and class to avoid any confusion. We look forward to our first Dress Casual day of the year!

UPCOMING: Parent Participation at Hillside, Wednesday, 27 Sept @ 1pm

We would like all parents who are keen to get involved and engage with your child's learning in-person at school to attend this webinar. Join Brenda as she walks through what to expect from a parent participation experience this year, and how to sign up. 

Zoom link: [Web Link] 

Recording: Parent Engagement & Involvement

Thank you to those 100+ parents who attended and actively participated in the recent Parent Engagement and Involvement session. Your commitment to your child's experience and willingness to collaborate with us are truly appreciated.

The brainstorming session was a success, thanks to your valuable insights, ideas, and suggestions. We hope you found the session productive and inspired us to enhance our partnership in supporting your child's learning journey. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and the positive impact they will have on your child's educational experience.

Once again, thank you for your time, enthusiasm, and dedication to our community. We value your ongoing support and look forward to working closely with you throughout the year.

Please click to access the recording and the slides from this parent session.

Recording: Chinese curriculum webinar 

Thank you to parents and carers who joined us for last week's webinar to learn more about our Chinese curriculum. We value your thoughts and feedback and would appreciate you giving us some time to fill out this survey. Here are the slides and webinar recording.

At Hillside, we have a commitment to partnership with our parents. Building a strong home-school partnership is always one of our school priorities.

As mentioned in the recent parent session, we would like to call out for two class parent volunteers to assist in building a family-school partnership. The Hillside Senior Leadership Team will support the Class Parents to coordinate and facilitate various activities.

The Class Parent's Role:

• They enhance communication between the class teacher and parents. 
• They actively promote a sense of community amongst parents. 
• They provide an important link for new parents with the school community.

If you are interested in becoming a Class Parent, please read this Hillside Class Parent Guideline and complete this Google form to express your interest.

Parent Handbook
Inclement Weather Arrangements
School Uniform