Dear Parents,

This will be the last newsletter for the school year and I think you will agree with me that there is no need to reflect too much on the roller coaster ride that we have all been on as a school community over the past eighteen months.  We are all very aware of the journey we have endured together!  We can only hope that the 2021/2022 school year is one of a more “normal” school existence and that we are able to welcome back all of the extra-curricular activities that makes Kennedy School the great school it is.   Sports clubs, choirs, assemblies, trips, camps, shows, drama activities, swimming and much much more is what we hope to return to as soon as possible.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

On a personal note, this will be my final newsletter as Principal of Kennedy School before I hand over the keys to Ms Mina Dunstan.  I know under Mina’s leadership, Kennedy School will go from strength to strength.

The final story I want to share with you is a conversation I had with a very bright and confident Year 1 girl this week who was stopping by the nurse’s room for a chat during the “big” snack time.

She was busy telling me all about her favourite lessons at Kennedy School which were … PE and Music.  I asked her who her favourite “Principal” was and without a blink of an eye she answered “Snow White”.  Princess and Principal are of course the same thing to a 5 year old!  It made me realise that after 36 years in education, the last 7 of these being the Principal of this amazing school, it’s the children that have made everyday a joy (well, nearly everyday).    So, I leave you as “Snow White” the Principal and I wish everyone the very best for the future.  Be kind to each other and cherish your children. Make the time for them and enjoy your time with them as they really do grow up very quickly.

I shall miss you all !

Kind regards,

John Brewster  

Principal 

30 June - Last Day of School. School finishes at 12 noon.

18 Aug - First Day of School 

The School Calendar 2021/21

Class Allocation 

Please see the list of teaching staff for the next academic year.  The children will be finding out their teacher for next year on Wednesday, 30 June during the meet the new teacher session.  Parents will also be notified of their child’s new teacher via email on Wednesday.

We invite applications for the following position :   

School Administrator (Admissions Focus)

If you enjoy meeting new families to help with their schooling needs, and have a strong background in customer service and administration, please click here for the details of the position and we would welcome your application via the ESF website.

A fabulous job to Year 6s for their Exhibition. The Exhibition is the culmination and celebration of all the learning that has taken place in the entire Primary Years Programme. It is an important event in the life of a Year 6 student. Students undertake an extensive investigation into a real life issue that combines global significance with local relevance. This year the Exhibition theme has been ‘How the World Works’ and learning about ways we can make a positive difference in our community.

Over the last two weeks, the Year 6s have presented their learning about the following Central Idea: ‘Innovation supports the sustainability of society and the environment’.  The students inquired into the following areas: 

• How the needs and wants of society drive innovation

• How processes support design

• Responsible and sustainable production

The students created some incredibly innovative, creative, sustainable and unique products made out of recycled plastic and textiles. They also learnt about the design process, circular and linear economy and how we can make a sustainable difference in our local community.

Congratulations Year 6 on your amazing Exhibition!

We will be enforcing our uniform policy more rigorously in the coming academic year. The main issues are the wearing of trainers instead of school shoes and the wearing of non Kennedy School hats. As mentioned last year, we are more relaxed with trainers with the PE kit as we understand that white trainers are difficult to get, especially for the older children.

Oh what a night!

Huge thanks to the team at El Charro Cyberport for hosting a fantastic night last Friday (18 June). 

Mr Dray and Mr King were in their element hosting 8 rounds of funfilled quiz rounds. It was great to see so many parents there and we look forward to more events in the future. 

On the night we raised a healthy $9,460. 

It was a fabulous send off for Mr Brewster and a lovely hello to Ms Dunstan.

Bus Arrangement for End of Term, Wednesday 30th June 

School finishes at 12 noon on Wednesday 30th June.

Please remind those collecting your child to be at the bus stops accordingly. 

If your child is NOT going to be on the school bus that afternoon,  please email Steven by Tuesday 29th June at bus@kennedy.edu.hk.

School Uniform Orders  

The PTA Uniform Shop is now closed. From Friday August 6th, uniform orders can be made from https://www.schooluniform.hk/

The ‘March with Kennedy’ community challenge is almost complete. We have been moving for nearly 120 days! 

This weekend is our final chance to put in some EXTRA movement before our challenge concludes on Wednesday 30th June - our last day of school.

Our Final Prize Winners who completed the most activities are:

Diya Cherian 3H and family - completed 527 activities and won a meal voucher from El Charro, located at Shop 208, 2/F, The Arcade, Cyberport

Hugo Potter 3H and family - completed 354 activities and won a hockey stick.

Michelle Yang 3W and family - completed 332 activities and won a rugby ball.

Please collect your prize from Mr Luck or Mrs Taylor in the P.E Office.

Click HERE for the full report!

We have excellent news to share with everyone!

 In the 1st Chinese Language Festival 2020/2021, Sofia Huang (3H) trained by Mrs Judy Lee, achieved great results and won a string of awards. This competition was an international competition covering Asia, Europe, America and Oceania. It had more than 400 participating schools and 3,621 participants.

 In the region of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, Sofia won the Championship for:

 1. Native Lower Primary Ancient Poems Recitation

2. Native Lower Primary Modern Poems Recitation

3. Native Lower Primary Story Telling

Because of her outstanding achievements, Sofia was elected to be the Champion of  the Native Lower Primary Category in the Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan region. 

 In the final stage (the global stage), Sofia was elected to be the Chinese Ambassador because of her impeccable performance. 

 We are very proud of her achievements and would like to share the news with all to encourage our learners. 

Denggao Zeng 

Head of Chinese 

dzeng@kennedy.edu.hk

Summer Activity Ideas 

Most of us will probably be spending yet another summer in Hong Kong, rather than setting off to explore new places or catch up with family and friends abroad. Making sure our children can relax, keep active and be happy during the long break, can take an extra effort from the adults caring for them. 

Keeping up a regular routine has shown to be very important for children’s wellbeing and setting clear boundaries around screen time and gaming is essential. Start with firm rules now and try to ensure everyone in your household is aware of them and does their best to stick to them - you can always ease off later. Role-modeling is crucial if we want our children to develop healthy habits around the use of technology.

Ensuring our children are socialising with others as much as possible is invaluable for building on their all important social and emotional skills, especially if they’ve missed out on these this year because of Covid-19. Having the children engage in physical activity both inside and outside, is a great way for them to increase their “happy hormones” and keep their bodies active and healthy.

There are a huge variety of summer camps on offer this year, though we appreciate that many are fully booked and expensive. For free or relatively inexpensive activities, beach trips, farm excursions, swimming pools, museums, even taking a kite to fly outside can help to keep our kids entertained and happy over the break. Below are some links to many ideas of active, fun and social things to do with children both inside and outside.

https://mumslittleexplorers.com/indoor-activities-for-kids-at-home/

https://whatmomslove.com/kids/active-indoor-games-activities-for-kids-to-burn-energy/

Have a fun and wonderful holiday.

Flora Scott and Henriette Teuchler

Kennedy School Counsellors