From the Principal

From the Principal

Dear Parents,

 

Walk with me

Across the school this week the students have been busy and productive in their lessons. On any given day, the students enjoy variety and active lessons with their teachers and peers. Enjoy a short 'Walk with me' (VIDEO LINK HERE) when I visited students learning at Kennedy School this week.

 

Fire drill

Today, Kennedy School successfully evacuated 900 children and 120 staff safely across to Stanley Ho Sports Centre. As part of the school health & safety policy, it was a timely reminder for the children to practise leaving the school in a calm and safe manner as well as to familiarise themselves with the meeting points and registration procedure. Staff were very impressed with the childrens' attitudes and conduct during the drill.

 

Year 6 camp

Next Tuesday, our Year 6 students will go to Outward Bound for their residential camp in Sai Kung. We are extremely pleased that our students will have this opportunity to experience an outdoor education camp. Staff have worked very hard to ensure the students will have this important personal development experience as part of their final year at primary school. An experienced team of staff will join the Year 6 students at Outward Bound. Having joined in the ‘jetty jumps’ for the last 10 years with the Year 6s at Quarry Bay School, I am sure Kennedy students will find this one of the memorable moments at next week’s camp.

 

In-school performances

Year 4 and Year 5 students will welcome parents into school next week to celebrate learning achievements. The Year 4s will host their mini exhibition and share their learning which is part of their current PYP unit of inquiry - natural disasters. The Year 5s will perform a Chinese Assembly for parents. We are looking forward to gradually continuing to scale up these events for parents and showcase the learning progress of our wonderful students.

 

Hot/cold snacks

We understand that the weather is turning cooler and restricted snack conditions have been in place for an extended period of time. To support families in their efforts to prepare snacks for school, please be advised that hot/cold snacks with utensils are permitted. This is applicable to the large snack period when the students have more time allocated in the timetable for eating - a hot snack thermos/flask option with utensils is permitted. All students have 25 minutes allocated for eating time during the large snack break which is scheduled between 10.30am to 11.20am.

• Year 1, 3, 5 eat: 10.30am to 10.55am

• Year 2, 4,6 eat: 10.55am to 11.20am

 

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation

 

With Respect,

Mina

 

Diary Dates

23 to 26 Nov: Year 6 camp

23, 25, 26 Nov: Year 4 Mini Exhibition

24, 30 Nov: Year 5 Chinese assembly for parents

1 Dec: Year 5 Parent consultations with Chinese Teachers (via Zoom)

2 Dec: Year 4 Choir performance at the Swire White Christmas Market (5 pm)

3 Dec: PTA Coffee Morning (9 - 10 am)

7 Dec: Webinar: Plugged In Parents - Keeping Children Safe, Happy & Healthy Online

9, 10 Dec: Year 2 Show for parents (9 am)

13 Dec: Senior Choir Performance at El Charro (6 pm)

17 Dec: Last Day at School (ends at 12 noon)

 

Housekeeping Notes

Housekeeping Notes

 

i) STUDENT CONDUCT OUTSIDE SCHOOL PREMISES

 

Please be mindful of student conduct and behaviour outside school premises.

As long as students are in uniform, they are expected to behave and be respectful at all times.

 

ii) ‘PLUGGED-IN PARENTS: KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE, HAPPY AND HEALTHY ONLINE

Dear Parents,

 

We are pleased to invite you to the forthcoming webinar: ‘Plugged-in Parents: Keeping children safe, happy and healthy online’.

This will take place on Tuesday 7th December 2021 from 5.30-6.30pm.

The presentation will demonstrate how families should use digital media in balance, help find quality content, set expectations around healthy and appropriate use, and raise media-savvy children.

We will share research regarding students' online user habits, practical advice and resources for parents of all primary age children to consider at home.

Please find the sign-up form here. We look forward to seeing you online soon.

 

Kind regards,

Rudi Dray

VP & ICT Coordinator

Calling for Fabric Donations

iii) FORAGING FOR FABRICS 

 

Year 6 are looking for fabric donations. If you have any fabric swatch samples catalogue or non stretchy fabrics in red, green, gold, silver colour, plain or patterned fabrics, please send them into school with your child or send them to Ms Noakes (6N). These will be repurposed by the Year 6s. Please send them in by Wednesday 1 December 2021. Thank you.

 

 

iv) LOOKING FOR LEGO

Our Counsellors are looking for LEGO pieces. These can be old or new LEGO of any sort - Duplo, Bionicles or any kind. If you have pieces you’d like to donate, please send them into Reception.

PTA Kennedy Community

Kennedy Community

 

i) PTA COFFEE MORNING - Friday 3rd December 9 am - 10 am

Being part of a close and supportive community has always been at the heart of Kennedy School life - but connecting with other parents and families has been challenging over the past 2 years.

 

With this in mind, Year 5 & Year 3 parents and long-time community members, Catherine Dannaoui, Fiona Bulmer and Natasha Petit O'Connor, are hosting another casual coffee morning open to parents. It is a chance to meet fellow parents, connect, share experiences and spend time together (in person!)

In order to attend you need to pre-register and must be double vaccinated.

Sign up here: Coffee Morning Registration

 

**If you were due to attend last Friday, 12th November, and would like to come on the 3rd December, please re-register once more using the link above**

 

 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in the PTA Office!

 

ii) KENNEDY TRAMS

Thank you to everyone expressing an interest in the fabulous Lion Rock Press Kennedy School Trams - perfect for an added extra to the Christmas Tree this year! They will be delivered to school during the week of 7th December and sent out to everyone who has ordered and paid shortly afterwards.

Invoices will be issued to those who have registered their interest.

 

We do still have a few trams to pre-order.

If you are interested, please follow the link below - first come, first served!

Kennedy School Tram Order Form

 

iii) CHRISTMAS CARDS

We are about to take delivery of our fabulous 2021 Kennedy School Christmas Cards. Packs contain 30 different cards and cost $150 per pack.

They feature the designs of all the winners of the Kennedy School Christmas Card competition.

If you are keen to purchase a pack and have not yet registered interest, please follow the link below:

2021 Christmas Cards Order Form

They will be ready to distribute to everyone who has pre-paid in the next week.

 

iv) WRAPPING PAPER

Our gorgeous Christmas wrapping paper has been designed by students and is currently on sale at 20% discount!

5 sheets reduced to $40

10 sheets reduced to $80

If you would like to purchase some please email us in the PTA office pta@kennedy.edu.hk. There are also some rolls available in the Reception.

 

v) SENIOR CHOIR CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Date for your diaries - Monday 13th December 6 pm - 7:30 pm

El Charro, Cyberport

Dust off those Christmas jumpers and come along for a jingle and a (socially distanced) mingle.

 

**Parents and care-givers of Senior Choir performers have received details on how to attend the event live and in person**

 

**Everyone else is extremely welcome to watch the event streamed live to screens at Delaney's, Cyberport**

 

We will have prizes for the best, festively dressed family!

Do take this wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Kennedy Community at this festive time.

HONG KONG YOUNG WRITER'S AWARDS COMPETITION

The Hong Kong Young Writer’s Awards competition is an annual event. We are accepting entries from children in Years 4, 5 and 6 this year at Kennedy School. If your child would like to enter they need to send their entry to Ms. Woodall in 4W by Monday, December 13th.

This Year’s theme is ‘Tales from the Mogao Grottoes’. More information can be found at this website. https://www.hkywa.com/

Children can enter Fiction, Non-fiction or Poetry into the competition with a word limit of 1000 words.

Ms. Woodall will be running sessions at playtime to give more information to interested participants and to offer support. Emails will be sent to class teachers and students who inform Ms. Woodall of their intention to participate.

 

Good luck!

WEEKLY CHINESE LEARNING UPDATES

 

Starting from today, the weekly Chinese Learning updates will now be shared on the School Newsletter and in the bi-weekly Yearband Newsletter. These will no longer be sent by email from your child’s Chinese teacher to parents.

 

Please click on the links below to access the Chinese learning for the week. You can also bookmark these links which are updated weekly.

 

Year 1 Chinese Weekly Notice

Year 2 Chinese Weekly Notice

Year 3 Chinese Weekly Notice

Year 4 Chinese Weekly Notice

Year 5 Chinese Weekly Notice

Year 6 Chinese Weekly Notice

 

 

RISE IN URTI

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) is asking the community to stay vigilant against the spread of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI).

 

The Government has seen an increase in outbreaks of URTI within the past few weeks. At Kennedy School, we are slowly starting to see an increase in children absent with symptoms of URTI. CHP are therefore asking that parents check their child’s wellbeing and temperature daily (recorded in the ESF app) before sending him/her to school.

 

URTI is caused by a virus. Symptoms usually begin quickly, they will appear 1 to 4 days after having been in contact with the virus and lasts for up to 10 days. Some of the symptoms like fever will normally begin to go away after 2 to 4 days. A person with URTI is often contagious from 1 day before symptoms start 5 to10 days after. Symptoms often include: Runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, fever, headache and lack of energy.

 

URTI mainly spreads by contact with nose or throat discharges or after touching contaminated objects. To help prevent spreading the virus, it is important to wear a face mask when in public places, perform proper hand-hygiene, cover nose and mouth when coughing/sneezing, maintain good indoor ventilation and staying at home if they have respiratory symptoms.

 

There is no specific treatment for URTI and antibiotics will normally not have any effect on the virus. The infected person should drink plenty of water and take adequate rest, and may receive symptomatic treatment to reduce fever and pain. Should your child show any symptoms of URTI, please keep your child at home and consult your doctor if needed.

 

We ask for parents help following the school fever policy in order to minimize the spread of viral infections (any child with a temperature of 37.5 C/99.5 F or above needs to stay at home for 48 hours after the temperature has come down to normal without the use of fever reducing medication!).

 

If you have any questions, please contact the nurses at nurse@kennedy.edu.hk