Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We hope you enjoyed some nice family time over the Mid-Autumn Festival and mid-term break. We certainly had lovely weather in Hong Kong, and the children have come back excited and ready to learn.

CPD Days this Week

The staff engaged in excellent learning through the ESF-wide CPD day on Monday. We spent time on Personalised Learning using an approach called Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Simply put, this provided us with additional training on how to plan lessons from the very beginning to accommodate all students. We learned more about offering various ways for children to engage with the material, absorb information, and demonstrate what they've learned. It was highlighted that by understanding each child's strengths, stretches and interests, we provide them with choices that allow them to grow in skill and independence. You can find more details on our website, where you can also view a video about our inclusion model.

The Kennedy School CPD on Tuesday was a vital day for us, as we approach our IB 5-year evaluation in March and have been working on our self-study for over eight months. This is a crucial step in the school's educational journey, and we’re excited to welcome the IB team to our school.

What’s Coming Up!

The rest of the term is packed with exciting learning! Please check your child's Year Group Snapshot of Learning APP message and the school calendar in this newsletter to stay up-to-date on what they are learning and important dates.

Kind regards,

Brenda

顧仁達

Techni Photo will be in school from Monday to Friday, 20 to 24 October 2025, to take individual portrait photos as well as class photos of the children. On the day the children have their photograph taken, they should be in their formal school uniform. Hair accessories, if any, should be in plain school colours of purple, grey, black or white.

After the photos have been taken, Techni Photo will send order forms to school for distribution to all students. Please look out for these in the next few weeks.

The photo schedule is as follows:

Remembrance Day takes place every year around the world on 11 November to commemorate those who lost their lives on active service, from the beginning of the First World War (1914- 1918) right up to present day. To remember the fallen in Hong Kong, we wear red flowers, called poppies, and raise funds for the families of Hong Kong’s ex-servicemen and women who fought and defended Hong Kong.

Poppies will be available in the School Reception from Monday 20 October. We ask for donations which support the Royal British Legion in Hong Kong.

To learn more about Remembrance Day and the Poppy Appeal, please visit https://rbl.hk/

Please look into your child’s school bag for the labels for the Box of Hope charity drive. Additional copies can be printed HERE.

Please continue to complete your box (or boxes) and bring them to school by 8.20 am on Friday 31 October. We hope to beat our target of 900 boxes this year!

Learn more at the Box of Hope website https://www.boxofhope.org/en/

Year 6 Swim Gala

We welcome all parents to attend our Year 6 Swim Gala next Friday 24 October 2025. Conducted at Stanley Ho Swimming Pool, races will start from about 9.00 am till about 12.15 pm.

Students will wear their regular swimming suit; long hair must be tied up under a swim cap (in House colours). Students will need to bring a small snack, water bottle and towel. Sunscreen should be applied before school.

Many thanks to Aquakidz who run the Year 6 swimming programme and swim gala together with the PE Department.

Kennedy Swimming lessons

Your child’s water safety swim lesson will take place in your child’s final swim session of this term. Please look carefully at the swimming schedule for the remaining weeks of swimming as some classes will be swimming at different days and times to their usual session.

Information about the water safety swim lesson

The influenza season is upon us. For the safety of your child and the school community, we would like to remind all families about when a child should be home from school.

When to Keep your Child Home from School

To stay up to date on all the medical news in school, please refer to the folder below and bookmark it for easy reference.

Medical Updates

East Wing Rooftop: A new peace haven

The upgrade to the East Wing Rooftop is taking shape! This tranquil space is designed to offer students and staff a calm retreat above the bustle of school life.

The funds for this space come from the takings at the Festive Fair last year and are an example of how funds collected by the PTA are channelled directly back to benefit the school. We are so excited about building on this peaceful vision in the months ahead.

Whole School Dress Up Day - Friday 7 November

Clash of the Patterns

Our next Whole School Dress Up Day is led by Year 6, who have decided that everyone should come to school dressed to unmatch! Wear stripes, polkadots, tie dye, plaid together with flowers, hats, bold colours and mix them up as much as possible for our Clash of The Patterns Day. We suggest a donation of $20 which will go towards the Year 6s fund for something the whole year group can enjoy.

Festive Fair & Concert News

Volunteers

This year, we are shaking things up and inviting parent-child duos to join the fun at our Festive Fair & Concert on Thursday, 14th November 2025!

We are looking for 5 dynamic duos per class to help run stalls, games, and activities. It’s a fantastic way to team up, spread some festive cheer, and create magical memories together.

Example: First name: Terry & Jake 1B. Every bit of time and energy makes a big difference. Thank you for helping make this special day happen! ❤️

Ready to join the fun? Just fill out the sign-up form and let the festivities begin!

https://volunteersignup.org/JA8XR

Donations Please

Please drop all your books in good condition to “The Space by the PTA” so they can be re-loved and build imaginations. Baked goods link here

Roll Up, Roll Up – Festive Fair & Concert Tickets Coming Soon!

Tickets for the Festive Fair & Concert go on sale next week – keep an eye out to grab yours along with coupon books!

This year, all stalls and activities on the Ground Floor will accept coupons, making it quicker, smoother, and way more fun for everyone. Coupon books will also be available for purchase at the fair using Octopus, cash, or PayMe.

Let the countdown to the fun begin!

Quiet Room at the Festive Fair

The Festive Fair will have a Quiet Room available for children or adults who may need a calm space away from the main action.

The room is available throughout the fair, with sensory activities and a peaceful environment. You can also borrow ear defenders here if needed.

To help us plan and ensure the space meets everyone’s needs, we kindly ask you to pre-register if you think anyone in your family—including siblings outside of KS—might benefit from using the Quiet Room. Please email pta@kennedy.edu.hk

Festive Fair Accessibility

If anyone in your family requires specific accommodations for accessing our Festive Fair, or concerns around accessibility, please get in touch so that we can support. Please contact Cruz Macalligan at cruz.macalligan@gmail.com.

Opening Hours of The Space by the PTA Monday to Thursday - 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

1. Bus Service Overview & FAQs

2. Birthday Book ordering

3. Chinese Weekly Learning:

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

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

• Login: Your child’s school email address

• Password: KSbooks1

5. Gateway Log-in

6. Hot Lunch Service & Hot Lunch Order Portal

7. Kennedy Today Newspaper NEW!

8. Medical Updates

9. Parent Information Workshops 2025/26

10. PYP In Action

11. Inclement Weather Procedures

12. Seesaw Log-in

13. School Calendar 2025/26

14. School Uniform Guide & School Uniform Shop