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

19 August: First School Day of Term

4 September: Parent Webinar: What is PYP?

13 September: Mid-Autumn Celebrations (Details to follow)

7-11 October: Mid-Term Break

Dear Hillside Families

We have had a great start to the new school year. It has been lovely to catch up with all the returning children, parents, and staff over the past week, and I look forward to getting to know our new children and families over the coming weeks. Both the K1 and K2 floors are buzzing with energy, and the children are ready to learn. We are extremely proud of how well the K1 children have settled, and we appreciate your support in making this smooth start to the academic year.

Warm regards
Audrey

We anticipate that more children will be travelling on the school bus from now on, and fewer non-bus children/ walkers will be there. For safety reasons, always have your pick-up cards when you collect your child at school or from the bus. 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. 

At the start of every September, we observe that the city will take some time to absorb the “back to school” traffic across HK 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. 

Please also note that we cannot unload all buses simultaneously for safety reasons, so there will be a bus queue on arrival. We normally unload the children early before the start of the session to ensure they can access their classrooms promptly. Based on this week’s observations, most buses arrived on time, and children alighted promptly - i.e. most children are in the classroom by 8:50am or 1:00pm. It seems the morning traffic is more congested, but we will continue with KCM to adjust the schedule as needed, and we have reminded KCM to inform parents of any delays. 

We are delighted to invite parents to participate and support the children’s learning of Mid Autumn's festival by signing up to volunteer for 2 Open Play stations (mooncake making & origami). This is a wonderful opportunity for you to actively engage with your child's school community and contribute to the festivities. We have allocated several spots for each K2 class on their Chinese day, and we want to emphasise that this is just the beginning of our collaborative efforts. Throughout the year, there will be numerous occasions for parent participation, be it in classrooms or outside school community events. Sign up here to volunteer for Mid Autumn’s Festival activities, and ensure you’ve read the parent volunteer guide and completed the ESF Child Protection Declaration on Gateway.

K1 parents, we want to give the children a bit more time to settle before inviting in parent volunteers. Thank you for your understanding and patience on this.

We wanted to bring your attention to an important matter regarding snack time. We have noticed that some children have been bringing large grapes as snacks. While grapes are nutritious and delicious, we want to emphasise the importance of cutting them into smaller pieces before sending them to school.

Large grapes can present a potential choking hazard, especially for our younger children. By cutting grapes into smaller, bite-sized portions, we can mitigate this risk and ensure the safety of all our children during snack time. 

We kindly request your cooperation in preparing grapes appropriately for your child's snack. Here are a few guidelines to follow:

1. Please cut grapes into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
2. Ensure the pieces are small enough for your child to chew and swallow comfortably.
3. If you are sending pre-packaged grapes, please double-check that they have already been cut into smaller pieces.

This is a warm reminder that Hillside is a nut-free school. This includes sesame seeds, which are a common allergen. Please do not allow any food that contains nuts or traces of nuts to be brought into the school premises. We have children with severe nut allergies, so all at Hillside must abide by this rule.

Snacks are optional. If you feel snacking is unnecessary for your child, there is no need to pack a snack. Baby yoghurt drinks might be an alternative to a full snack. 

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.

You will receive an email with the link to the transfer form on Friday, 30 August 2024. The link will be activated on 1 September 2024. Please get in touch with Hillside Admissions if you are still waiting to receive this by the weekend.

Families now have the opportunity to apply to any of our 22 schools following the removal of the previous geographical or 'zoning' requirement. For more information on individual schools, kindly refer to the Primary School Open Days and Webinars list or contact the respective school directly. If you have any further questions, please get in touch with the ESF Primary Admissions Team at primary.admissions@esfcentre.edu.hk  

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