Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It’s been a wonderful week! Our students have been immersed in a variety of exciting activities, including Year 2’s dress-up day, informative talks from the Elephant Society, hands-on science workshops, road safety education at Road Safety Town, outdoor adventures like hiking and planting on Mui Wo, marine exploration at South Bay’s Living Oceans, making films for a film festival, showcasing learning projects in Year 4, and competitive and fun interschool sports events and tournaments.

Staff Update

We're sad to announce that Billy Yeung, our dedicated Bus and Procurement Officer, will be leaving us tomorrow. Billy has been an invaluable asset to our school community, consistently prioritising the needs of our students and fostering strong relationships with our bus company, parents, and other stakeholders. We thank him for his hard work and dedication and wish him all the best in his future career.

To ensure a smooth transition, Cindy Chen, our part-time administrator, will be stepping into Billy's role. She is currently working closely with Billy to familiarise herself with the responsibilities and ensure a seamless handover. We welcome Cindy to the Office team and know she will do an excellent job in this new role.

Please also note that Alex Murphy from 2M will be taking maternity leave after the Christmas break. We wish her all the best during this special time. To provide continuity for our students, experienced Kennedy School teacher Amelia Quinlan will be returning from maternity leave to take over the 2M class.

We are grateful for the contributions of both Billy and Alex to our school community. We wish them all the best. We look forward to welcoming Amelia back and having Alex back with us later on too.

School Uniform - Winter Garments

Please ensure your child is ready for the cooler weather in Term 2. A reminder about these obsolete uniform items.

All uniform items can be viewed and purchased at:https://www.schooluniform.hk/collections/kennedy-school. Please purchase these items now so that your child is prepared for winter.

School Uniform guidelines can be viewed HERE

Parent Information Workshops

Are you interested in learning more about West Island School?

If your child is in Year 3 or above, please register to attend our Parent Information Workshop Series. This series of three workshops will begin with a coffee morning at Kennedy School, led by the West Island School Senior Leadership Team.

Additionally, keep an eye out for an upcoming Zoom workshop designed specifically for parents of Year 4-6 students. This workshop will delve into the details of our reading and writing curriculum and ways you can support your child at home. You will receive an RSVP link for this Zoom workshop early next term.

For more information and to register for the coffee morning, please visit Parent Information Workshop Series

Parent Consultations

Thank you for taking the time to meet with your child's teacher for the online consultation. We hope you found it helpful.

Please remember that we've also shared your child's mid-year report and standardised assessment results (year 3 and above). These documents complement the online consultation process, to help provide a comprehensive overview of your child's strengths, areas for growth, and strategies to support their progress.

This year, we've adjusted our approach based on feedback from our stakeholder survey. We're committed to providing more frequent communication with classroom teachers and offering a robust programme of educational workshops for parents.

If you have any feedback on the reporting process or timelines, please don't hesitate to email me. Your input is useful in helping us tweak and adapt what we do.

PTA Administrator Vacancy - Part-time

Please refer to the vacancy below in the PTA section.

End of Term 1

As we approach the end of term one. A reminder that school will close for a half day on Friday 13 December.

Here are the dismissal times for Friday:

Warm regards,
Brenda
顧仁達

Term 2 Staff-Run ECAs

Please click on the link below for the details about the Staff Run Activities for Term 2.

Term 2 Staff-Run Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs)

Registration

Registration for these clubs will open on Monday 9 December at 8.00 pm and closes on Friday 3 January at 8.00 pm.

All registration will take place on Gateway. Please see the following important notes before registering:

Registration for a club is complete when payment is made on the epayment system.

● Please note that activities and fees are for one term only (Except for Rock Band and Lion Dragon Dance). You must register every term for an activity. Some activities are offered in both Term 1 & Term 2 (e.g. Choir and Orchestra) and you must register your child for activities each term, unless it is specified otherwise.

● Please note we are unable to accommodate any late registrations or extend club sizes. Please be sure to register promptly for any clubs for your child(ren).

● Please note the start and end dates of the activity and the equipment needed. No reminders will be sent about these.

● There is no school bus service for after school activities.

For guidance on how to register for activities using Gateway, please review this document, or click on the Help button on Gateway.

Guidance for Parent Sign Up of Activities

Go Kennedy Football!

Yesterday, 2 boys and a girls teams took part in the Year 5/6 HKPSSA Football Championships at the TKO HKFA Training Centre. Our A team were undefeated in the group stage, but lost by a single goal in their final game against RCHK. Our B team gave their all and recorded some wins and draws for a respectable fifth place finish. In the girls section, we got off to a flying start with 3 wins which then seeded our team in the A grade tournament. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep the winning results going to the end but we gave it our best!

Mr Bogaerde and I are very proud of all of our football teams and the achievements we have made this term. Well done players and coaches for a hugely successful term of football.

Next term, football will be available for Years 3/4 boys and Year 3/4/5 girls.

AFL event at AISHK

Well done to the AFL team who displayed impressive teamwork and skill at the Australian International School last Thursday in a thrilling match. Each Kennedy player showcased their determination, executing well-coordinated plays that kept the opposition on their toes. Ultimately, the match ended on a high note, reinforcing our team's growing confidence going into next year.

ESF Cross Country Challenge - Calling all runners from Year 3, 4, 5 and 6!

This event is open to ALL GIRLS AND BOYS across the school  in Year 3 to  6. The event will take place on Saturday 18 January 2025 and only open to ESF students in the following boys and girls races. 

1. Year 3 - 1200 metres approx. Approximate start time 9:15 am

2. Year 4 - 1700 metres approx. Approximate start time 9:45 am

3. Year 5 - 2200 metres approx. Approximate start time 10:15 am

4. Year 6 - 2200 metres approx. Approximate start time 10:45 am

If you are interested in having your child run in this event, please read the form below and fill in your child’s details carefully. Please note that the form will close on Friday 10 January at the latest. 

ESF Cross Country Run Form

Kennedy Sports ECAs

Term 2 Staff Run Sports clubs registrations.

If your child has been invited to a sports club for Term 2, please follow the sign-up procedures as written in the recent app message you will have received from Mrs Badri.

Next term, our HKPSSA tournaments will be played in the sports of Tag Rugby, Basketball, Cross Country Running and Hockey. Please register your child if you want them to join in the Kennedy sports clubs next term.

Sports Kit Returns

If your child still has not yet returned a Kennedy Sports kit, please drop it into the gym as soon as you can.

Join us for a fun and interactive Hong Kong Sign Language class, open to children from Years 2–6 and their families or caregivers. Taught by a Deaf teacher and hearing assistant, we will cover some great basics of this amazing language.

Watch a quick introduction to HK sign Language HERE.

12 Classes in Term 2: HKD 2500 total (for 1 child + 1 adult)
(9 January to 3 April 2025)

We will need a minimum of 11 pairs of participants to run the club (ie 11 students + 11 adults).

The deadline for completing this form is Monday 9 December 2024.

If you have an questions, please contact Cruz Macalligan at cruz.macalligan@gmail.com.

We are looking forward to the Kennedy School Christmas Concert featuring the school's Orchestra, Choir and Rock Band.

Due to space constraints, attendance at this event is limited to the families of the performers only. However, we welcome everyone to watch this on our live stream. The details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday 10 December 2024

Time: 11.00 to 11.45 am

Click HERE for the Live stream

Please click on the image or click HERE for the list of partner clinics.

As part of our ongoing commitment to celebrate diversity and promote literacy, we are excited to enrich our collection with mother-tongue picture books. These books not only enrich our students’ reading experiences but also help them connect with their cultural heritage.

If you are going home for the winter break, and would like to buy and donate a book in your home language, we would love to add it to our collection.

Thank you for your generosity and for helping us create a more inclusive and vibrant library!

We are delighted to have author/illustrator Theadora Whittington next Monday 9 December to read and discuss with Year 1 students. Her picture book "The Sand Turtle" is about a little boy's relationship with a green turtle and is a great link to our Sharing The Planet unit of inquiry. Theodora will also demonstrate how she puts text and images together to create her books.

If your child would like to order signed copies of any of Theadora's books, please email her directly at theadorawhittington@gmail.com before her visit.

Job Opportunity - PTA Administrator (Part-time, 17.5 hours per week)

The Kennedy School PTA is looking for a Part-Time Administrator to join our team. As an integral part of our school community, we strive to enhance school spirit and engagement, raise funds for key projects, and provide opportunities that enrich student learning and family engagement.

Responsibilities
Working with the existing Part-time Administrator, this role will provide support to the PTA Committee, particularly the Chair and Hon. Treasurer and will focus primarily on finance governance. Fluency in both written and spoken English and Chinese is essential.

This role would suit someone who would like to work mostly school hours, part-time (flexible) with all the school holidays off and be part of a really dynamic and fun school community. This role is a paid position working for ESF, Kennedy School. This is a term-time position only.

If you enjoy working with children and families and wish to be part of the dynamic team, we will be happy to hear from you. For details of the position and application procedures, please click here.

Future Me Dress Up Day

Safe to say our future is in good hands! We loved seeing the gorgeous array of “Future Me” dress-ups last Friday, for the Year-2 Dress Up Day. We had pilots, painters, police officers, firefighters, footballers and fairies, nurses and doctors, and even famous detective Sherlock Holmes! Thank you for supporting your child’s creative and imaginative ideas, it was a credit to our community to see their proud smiles on the day.

We raised a fantastic $8950 that day. This will be put towards exciting initiatives, resources or experiences for our Year 2s to bring a little extra magic to their year!

Thank you for your support!

First Aid Course

Learn to save a life. Mark Your calendars because we are thrilled to announce a comprehensive First Aid course organized by the PTA, in collaboration with the Red Cross, right here at school! Starting 25 January through to 22 February.

This First Aid course is officially recognized by the Hong Kong Government, offering a valuable certification that can make a real difference.

Click here to apply

Deadline 11th December.

https://forms.gle/WdYEomdXiLYaSJEi6

PTA Christmas Cards for sale in Reception

Children and families can purchase a bundle of 5 Christmas cards for $5 (cash only) at the school reception. These cards are perfect for posting to friends and teachers in the Kennedy School postbox.

Drop into the “The Space by the PTA” to pick up any Preloved Uniform bits and pieces before the start of Term 2.

Trivia fans, keep your eyes peeled!
Save the date for our famous Quiz Night! More details to come next term.

Office Hours

PTA Opening Hours Next Week. The PTA office will be staffed on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8.15 am to 12.15 pm or by appointment for next week. Contact us at PTA@kennedy.edu.hk for enquiries or to book appointments at other times.

1. Chinese Weekly Learning Links:

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

2. Parent Information Workshop Series (Please bookmark)

3. Kennedy School Annual Report 2023-24

4. Kennedy Today Newspaper - issue 1, issue 2

5. Draft School Calendar 2025/26

6. School Calendar 2024/25

7. Inclement Weather Procedures

8. Hot Lunch Service

9. School Uniform Guide

10. School Uniform Shop

11. ​eLibrary platform (For Years 4,5,6)

• Login: Your child’s school email address

• Password: KSbooks1