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

27 September:  Parent Webinar: Chinese at Hillside 

2 October: Deadline for Online Student Grant Application

7-11 October: Mid-Term Break

Dear Hillside Families

As you may already know, the ESF shared vision strives for "every child to be the best that they can be," fostering a nurturing environment where children are safe, kind, happy, engaged, and eager to learn.

As we embark on a new school year, we’ve reflected on our collective journey and the valuable insights shared by our stakeholders. With this in mind, I'd like to outline our priorities for the coming academic year.

Imagine our school as a flight deck. We have initiatives taking off (ongoing projects), on deck (ready for implementation), and inbound (new ideas).

A central focus is enhancing our personalised learning environment. This involves:

• Defining a shared understanding of personalised learning at Hillside.
• Embracing differentiated instruction to meet individual student needs.
• Learning from Dr. Shelley Moore's work on Universal Design for Learning to create more inclusive and accessible learning experiences. (Not to target “what’s wrong,” but instead focus on removing barriers.)

Recently, I had the privilege of listening to renowned professor Dr. Yong Zhao. His insights resonated deeply with our work. As he stated in a previous interview on The Future of Education, "I would like everybody to see the child before they see the curriculum."

We're excited to engage with our families and enrich our children's learning experiences. Thank you for your continued support. Together, we'll make this a successful school year.

Warm regards
Audrey

As parents, we crave details of our children's school day. But sometimes, the simple question "What did you do today?" can overwhelm young minds. You’re often met with “Nothing” or “I don’t know” as answers. The fact of the matter is that they experience so much! Here are some tips to encourage sharing:

• Model a Sharing Conversation: Tell your child about your day. Example: "Mummy had a meeting at work today. We all sat around a big table and shared ideas. Then we had lunch! What about you?"
• Ask Specific Questions: Instead of "What did you do?", try prompts like "Did you play in the sandbox today? What did you build?" or "Did you sing any songs in music class?".

Let's work together to nurture confident, thriving learners!

Hillside's Chinese Programme (Especially for K1 families and anyone new to Hillside)

Date: Friday, 27 September, 1pm

What does learning Chinese as an additional language look like in the early years? Join our Chinese Team to learn more about what Chinese Learning looks like here at Hillside and how you can support connections between your child's learning at school and home.

Zoom link: [Web Link] 

Meeting ID: 517 873 0989

The Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) announced the new Student Grant Scheme. The government's Student Grant Scheme applies to every student attending a Secondary, Primary, or Kindergarten school in Hong Kong, making them eligible for a HK$2,500 grant payment. This scheme applies to all English Schools Foundation (ESF) schools, private independent schools and kindergartens. Click here for the full EDB notice on the Student Grant Scheme. 

HOW TO APPLY

ALL Families (K1 & K2)

• Parents are encouraged to use the e-submission platform to submit the 2024-25 student grant application.
• Applicants must have an "iAM Smart+" account with a digital signing function.  They may log in to the online service of "e-Submission of Student Grant Applications" via the "iAM Smart" App directly, or click the link ( [Web Link] ) to log in to the e-platform to submit e-applications.
• The e-platform will open at 6:00 am on 13 September 2024 and close after 11:59 pm on 2 October 2024. For more information on e-submission, please refer to the Parent's Guide. 

Disbursement of Grant

The student grant will be disbursed to applicants via bank transfer.  Applicants are required to provide full information on their bank account.  The name of the applicant must be the same as the bank account holder. Bank account number should include bank code. Incomplete information will lead to failure in bank transfer. 

For enquiries, please contact the Student Special Support Section EDB (email: stgenquiry@edb.gov.hk; hotline: 3850 2000)

Thank you for your attention. 

ESF Hillside

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