Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It was so wonderful to see all of our students back at school this week! After all the rainy weather, our school was buzzing with happy energy as everyone reconnected with friends and got straight back into their learning. Our new students and Year 1s are settling in beautifully and are already a wonderful part of our community.

Join Us: Meet the Teachers Online!

Please join us for a special online webinar to meet the teachers in your child’s year group. These sessions are a great opportunity to get to know your child’s teaching team and learn more about the daily routines, curriculum, and upcoming events for the year.

The sessions will be held on Thursday, 28 August, with the following schedule:

• Years 3, 4, and 6: 5:00 - 5:45 pm

• Years 1, 2, and 5: 5:45 - 6:30 pm

Mark your calendars! We'll send you an invitation link early next week.

We also have a number of webinars for parents planned for the next few months. Please check this spreadsheet for the list of events and sign up details as they become available.

Introducing Our New Team Members

We have some new faces to introduce! We were excited to welcome new staff members to our team.

New Staff Members

Upcoming In-Person Parent/Student Celebration Day

We are thrilled to invite you to spend time at school on Thursday, 2 October. This will be a great chance for a three-way conference with your child and their classroom teacher, and you'll also get to visit other areas of the school and meet all of your child’s teachers. Please save this important day. Often parents like to be in school for 1 to 2 hours on these days. More details to follow.

Hats & Uniforms

Please ensure your child brings a hat to school every day. You can order this and all uniform items online or visit the store.

Explore and Sign Up to Our ECAs

Be sure to read the note below to find out more about all the fun Extracurricular Activities we have on offer! Clubs and activities are very popular, so get in quick!

We are looking forward to a wonderful year ahead and can’t wait to connect with you all again soon!

Kind regards,

Brenda

顧仁達

PYP in Action: snapshots of curriculum in the classroom

Welcome to a new feature in our newsletter, PYP in Action. Every 2 weeks, we will publish an information letter designed to show what the PYP curriculum actually looks like in practice. As an International Baccalaureate school, we follow the PYP (Primary Years Programme). The curriculum model can seem complicated, and there are certainly a lot of very education-specific words in it. In this feature, we will explain parts of the curriculum by giving examples of what it actually looks like in the classroom. Today’s letter explores the Learner Profile. Please click here to read.

PYP Workshop

If you are a new parent to Kennedy, new to the PYP Curriculum, or interested in finding out more about our curriculum, please join us for the workshop “Introduction to the PYP” on Tuesday 2 September 9.00 am - 10.00 am in the staffroom. Please RSVP to the workshop here. On the form, there is space for you to add any questions that you would like addressing in the workshop.

Term 1 Staff-Run ECAs

Information about Term 1 staff-run ECAs is now ready for viewing on Gateway:

Registration

Registration will open tomorrow, Friday 22 August 2025 at 8.00 pm and closes on Monday 8 September at 12 noon.

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

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

Get ready for a fun family activity! We are excited to announce our Mid-Autumn Family Recycled Lantern Design Competition! This year's theme is "Sustainable Lights, Brighter Future." It is a wonderful chance to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival as a family while promoting environmental awareness.

Here are some quick guidelines for your lantern:

Lantern Design Guidelines

Submission Deadline: Please submit lanterns to your child's Class Teacher by Monday, 22 September 2025. Let's celebrate family and the Mid-Autumn Festival sustainably. We look forward to seeing your creative "Sustainable Lights, Brighter Future" lanterns!

Term 1 Swimming

Here are some important details about our swimming programme:

• The Autumn Term swimming programme will start on Friday 29 August.

• Swimming lessons in Term 1 are for children in Years 2 to 6. Year 1 students will have swimming lessons in Term 3.

• All new students will need to sign up for the swimming programme. Please read carefully and sign the e-notice on Gateway.

• In case of inclement weather, younger students will learn water safety, while older students will learn practical water safety techniques.

• We recommend that your child brings his/her swimming kit on every swimming day, regardless of the weather.

• On swimming days, students may wear their PE kit to school to save time changing.

• We will hold the Year 6 Swim Gala on Friday 24 October 2025.

To be prepared for swimming, each child will need:

Students not taking part in the swimming lessons will be given tasks assigned by their class teacher.

Here is the Swimming Schedule for the next 2 weeks:

Term 1 Sports Clubs

Please review the section above about sign ups for Staff Run clubs.

Please tell us about your child’s sporting interests

There are a variety of sporting opportunities and events that take place over the course of the year that we consider taking our students to represent Kennedy School in tournaments. These tournaments are often the highlight of the year for our students. Through our PE and Games lessons and the ECA programme we try to identify students for such tournaments.

Please help us by filling in the form so that we can see the sports that your child regularly plays and let us know about their performance level if possible. Please write in detail and don't be modest about your child's achievements.

If you have more than one child at Kennedy School please fill in the form separately for each of your children.

Student out of school Sports Information Form

On Monday 25 August, we will be restarting our collection of washed and dried tetrapaks for recycling here at Kennedy School.

Programme Details

On Monday mornings, children can bring their packs when they come to school, and they will be checked, weighed and points will be awarded to each House.

Packs that are not prepared correctly will be thrown away as we are unable to process them at school. Do not bring tissue boxes or any other recycling materials.

What is a Tetrapak

Tetrapaks are beverage cartons that are actually made of plastic, metal and paper, which makes them difficult to recycle. Kennedy School works with Vitasoy to collect and recycle these materials in Hong Kong, which are then turned into reusable materials.

How to prepare a Tetrapak for Recycling

Tetrapaks must be completely cut open, washed and dried before being brought in to school, and the lid must be taken off. Flatten them before bringing them to school.

Check the Vitasoy website for more information about how Tetrapaks are recycled!

Kennedy School is proud to offer individual instrumental lessons during break times, lunchtimes and after school.

Please contact the teachers directly for inquiries and availability.

We hope your family is settling into the new school year with excitement and ease!

As part of our ongoing efforts to enrich the school experience for all students, we kindly remind you about the PTA annual mandatory membership fee of $200. This small contribution helps fund a wide range of activities, events, and initiatives that bring our community together. All parents are automatic members of the PTA. This is mandatory to be paid by every family according to ESF Ordinance and Regulations.

PTA Membership Fee:

• Amount: HKD $200 per family

• Due Date: Invoice will state due date

• Payment Method: Gateway - you will receive an invoice soon.

Your support ensures that the PTA can continue to create meaningful experiences for our children and foster a strong, connected school community. Whether you’re a new parent or a returning one, we truly appreciate your involvement.

Thank you for being an essential part of Kennedy School!

☕Q&A Coffee Morning: Get Tech-Ready!

Date: Wednesday, 27 August 

Time: 8:30–9:15 am

Location: Staff Room, 3rd Floor, East Wing

Do you have questions about using Gateway or other school-related apps? Whether you're new to the school or just need a refresher, we invite you to join us for a relaxed and informative Q&A Coffee Morning.

Enjoy a cup of coffee while we walk through the basics, answer your questions, and help you feel more confident navigating the digital tools that support your child’s learning journey.

We look forward to seeing you there! Sign up here so we can gauge numbers.

Year 5 Kick-Off Dress Up Days for the whole school: Dress Up & Snuggle Up Day!

Year 5 will be leading our first themed Dress Up Day on Friday, 5 September — and it’s all about comfort and imagination!

We’re inviting all students to Dress Up & Snuggle Up:

• Come to school in your coziest pyjamas

• Bring your favourite book to share or enjoy

• Get ready for a day filled with stories, smiles, and snuggly vibes

Don't forget to bring your $20 donation to help raise funds for an extra special sparkle experience for the whole of Year 5. Every contribution adds a little more magic to our adventures this year!

It’s a fun way to ease into the term and spark a love of reading from day one. We can’t wait to see everyone’s comfy style and hear about the books they love!

Our second coffee morning for Year 1 parents! 

It was truly a delight to meet the parents of our Year 1 students at our recent coffee morning on Tuesday. The room buzzed with warm conversations, shared aspirations, and a genuine enthusiasm for building meaningful connections within our school community.

Together, we explored how to nurture friendships among our children, ways to support one another as parents, and the many opportunities to get involved—whether through volunteering or simply being present on this exciting journey.

We hope the first day was filled with joy and memorable moments for both parents and children. Here's to a fantastic year ahead, rich with learning, laughter, and lasting friendships.

Preloved Uniform Shop Now Open!

Drop by “The Space by the PTA” to browse a wide selection of gently used uniform items. Most pieces are priced at just $30 or $50, making it a budget-friendly way to stock up.

Please note: CASH only.

Whether you're replacing lost items or preparing for growth spurts, we’ve got you covered. Come take a look!

Opening Hours for The Space

Monday to Thursday: 8:30 am to 2:45 pm

We are still looking for Class Parents

Want to be a class parent this year? It’s a fun and rewarding role!

Sign up here

Want to Get Involved with the PTA?

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help out with events and other PTA activities throughout the year!

Join our WhatsApp Volunteer Chat Stay in the loop and hear about upcoming opportunities to lend a hand: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BzSFFPE9bmHF4oErLWCN6R

Note: This chat is for event announcements only—not for planning or ongoing discussions.

Let’s make this year amazing together!

PTA Office Hours

Monday - Thursday 8:30 am to 2:45 pm

The Space will be closed on Friday, August 29.

If you need to reach us, feel free to email PTA@kennedy.edu.hk or call 2579 5699.

1. Bus Service Overview & FAQs

2. Birthday Book ordering

3. Starting from this week (21 Aug), Chinese Weekly Learning Links will be updated here: NEW

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

4. ​Curriculum - Introduction to Learning in the classroom NEW

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

• Login: Your child’s school email address

• Password: KSbooks1

6. Gateway Log-in

7. Health & Immunisation Schedule

8. About the Hot Lunch Service

9. Order Hot Lunches here

10. Parent Information Workshops 2025/26 NEW

11. Inclement Weather Procedures

12. Seesaw Log-in

13. School Calendar 2025/26

14. School Uniform Guide

15. School Uniform Shop