BRADBURY NEWSLETTER – 30 AUGUST 2019
致白普理學生家長
Dear Parents,
What a most wonderful start to the new school year we have had! It has been extremely smooth and peaceful. Thank you for your support to make this happen.
I am including with this newsletter information about our election for parent reps on our school council. The Bradbury School Council has a governing oversight role which does not involve the day to day management of the school, which is of course, my responsibility. Instead, the Council contributes to the development of the school, shapes its strategic framework, oversees financial compliance and gives advice as required. The estimated time commitment for council member is approximately 8-10 hours per term. We have four meetings per year. The school council has a total of three parent representatives, two elected from amongst its members and one representative elected from amongst the PTA committee. Our outgoing parent reps are Catherine Hufton and Priyanka Jha Goel. Thank you both for your past service to our school.
Please feel free to ring me or drop by if you would like more information. I am only too happy to sit and chat to ensure you have a clear understanding of what the role entails. Don’t be shy! It is a great way to contribute to our school and all parents are welcomed, and encouraged to put your name forward.
Parent Consent
There are times when some of our students are being cared for by their helper while parents are out of Hong Kong. If this is the case, please let school know. This is important as sometimes we need to obtain your consent for various events, such as incidental trips or, worst case scenario, emergency medical treatment. Please inform us if you have delegated the parental approval role to your helper during the time you are away.
Sandra Webster
Principal
Important Dates
N.B. Dates and Activities may change from time to time. Please check the online calendar for the weekly updates on www.bradbury.edu.hk calendar. Thank you.
| DATE | EVENT | TIME |
| 03 September 2019 | P.T.A. SHOP IS CLOSED TODAY | 8:30 a.m. |
| 04 September 2019 –
06 September 2019 |
School Photos in school | 8:30 a.m. |
| 05 September 2019 | Year 5 Swimming Lessons start today and every Thursdays thereafter until November | |
| 10 September 2019 | Deadline for P.T.A. Nominations | 3:00 p.m. |
| 12 September 2019 | Year 1 Cake Sale | 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. |
| 13 September 2019 | Open Day at Island School (Y6 Parents) | 8:30 a.m. |
| 16 September 2019 | Year 5 Fair Trade Trip | 9:00 – 1:00 p.m. |
| 17 September 2019 | P.T.A. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING | 6:00 P.M. |
| 20 September 2019 | 6H/6G Class Assembly | 9:00 a.m. |
| 25 September 2019 | P.Y.P. PARENTS INFORMATION SESSION | 9:00 – 10:30 A.M. |
| 27 September 2019 | 5C/5B Class Assembly | 9:00 a.m. |
| 30 September 2019 | E.S.F. / BRADBURY CPD DAY
(No classes for students) |
——– |
| 01 October 2019 | National Day Public Holiday (No Classes) | ——– |
| 03 October 2019 | Year 2 Botanical Trip | 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. |
| 07 October 2019 –
11 October 2019 (inclusive) |
Half Term Holidays (No Classes) | ——– |
| 16 October 2019 | World Food Day | |
| 16 October 2019 | Parental Consultations 1 | 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| 18 October 2019 | Community Gardening Day | |
| 18 October 2019 | 2T Class Assembly | |
| 24 October 2019 | Year 5 Cake Sale | 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. |
| 24 October 2019 | Parental Consultations 2 | 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
| 25 October 2019 | Bradbury CPD Day (No Classes) | ——– |
Gateway Update Reminders
By Steve Fennelly, Vice Principal
- If your child is a foreign passport holder (one that is NOT from Hong Kong) we would appreciate you editing the details in Gateway to reflect this.
- Please ensure you input two additional contact persons into Gateway in case of emergency and we are unable to contact the parents. If you are traveling out of Hong Kong, and likely to be uncontactable, please nominate an adult in ‘loco parentis’ for you while you are away. When you have nominated that person, please inform your class teacher.
Smartphone Watches
By Mike McKee, Vice Principal
Some parents at Bradbury are choosing to equip their child with a Smartphone watch. We recognise that these watches offer a way to be in contact with your child while commuting to and from school, thus giving you and your child peace of mind around their security. We therefore allow our children to have a Smartphone watch at Bradbury School.
These devices, however, can be distracting for students, both the child wearing the watch, and for those around them. We also have no control over what they are accessing in school time. Smartwatches, therefore, must be set to ‘school mode’ or ‘do not disturb’ during school hours, that is, between 8.30am and 2.40pm, disabling the features that can distract children from their learning. This feature can be controlled through an app on a parents phone.
Any students not adhering to the above request to set the phone to a school appropriate mode will be asked to keep Smartwatches in their school bag.
I would also like to remind you of our policy regarding mobile phones. These are not permitted for use during class or school time unless directed by a teacher. Phones need to be turned off or set to ‘do not disturb’ while being kept in school bags. As with the watch, the mobile phone can be used again after 2.40pm.
Should you need to contact your child during school hours, please contact Ms Fritzi at the reception desk.
Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.
*Lost & Found: Please see Ms. Fritzi if your child misplaced his/her Doki smartwatch.
Greening at Bradbury School
By Amanda Bremner, PYP Coordinator
HK Recycling worked with our cleaning staff to educate them about plastic recycling. HK recycling will be helping Bradbury to recycle more goods and proving us with data about our consumption, the process and end products which we can use in UOIs and to help us achieve Green School certification.
Library News
By Jane Thompson, Teacher Librarian
It is wonderful to be back in the library and to see all the smiling faces of the students. Classes have been visiting the library over the past two weeks and finding out about all the exciting things that will be happening this year.
Borrowing:
Most of our classes have borrowed books over the last two weeks, this is with the exception of Y1 who are still settling into the systems and routines of the school. We are hoping, however, that by the end of this week all students would have borrowed books.
For parents new to Bradbury School, we operate a self-circulation system in the library, whereby students are responsible for checking the books out of the library using their library card and then returning the books independently.
Please be aware that if a student has checked out a book correctly it will be in the library system under their name. Your child is responsible for that book until it is scanned back into the system in the library. If your child brings the book back to school but does not return it to the library they are still responsible for the book. Therefore, if the book is lost at school a Lost Book Fee will still be issued if it can not be found.
If your child has any overdue books you will receive an automated email notifying you to help them find the
book(s) and return it to the library. There is no need to reply to this email. If your child loses a book then please notify me and I will email a ‘Lost Book’ form to you. The book can either be paid for ($100) or alternatively
replaced.
We not only have a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction in the library. We have a fairly large collection of
Chinese books as well as books in other languages. So please encourage your child to access these books as well.
Book Donations:
If you are ever having a clear out of books at home then please send any that are in good
condition to the library. We collect books for the charity South African Mobile Libraries. This organisation,
operated through Sony HK, sends second hand children’s books to South Africa for children who live in remote villages. The books must be in English, fiction or nonfiction and they do not accept sticker books or text books.
Student Health Service & School Dental Care Service 2019-2020
By Lauren Lau, School Health Professional
Please note that Student Health Service & School Dental Service Application forms have been distributed to all of the classes. Please fill in the form and hand it in before the 16th September 2019 (Monday).
If you are interested in applying for the School Dental Service for your child, you are required to submit the completed application form together with a cheque of HK $30, made payable to Bradbury School. Please write your child’s name and class on the back of the cheque.
If there are any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Important Reminder for Parents of Year 6 Children
By Steve Fennelly, Vice Principal
Applications for ESF Year 7 places
Parents of Year 6 students will have received an email from Mr Fennelly explaining how to apply for an ESF secondary school place.
A reminder that applications open on the Gateway on Sunday 1st September and stay open for three weeks. Applications will close on Monday 23rd September 2019.
If you have not received the transition information email, or have any further questions, please contact Mr Steve Fennelly at stephen.fennelly@bradbury.edu.hk.
Sibling Applications
Reminder for parents regarding Sibling applications for Year 1 (born in 2015) Central Applications application period is from 1-30 September 2019. Online applications: https://www.esf.edu.hk/esf-admissions/
West Island School Open Day
West Island School will host the annual Open Day on 18 September. Please follow the link for details and to sign-up: https://www.wis.edu.hk/open-day-wednesday-18-september-2019/
Prof Yong Zhao: “What Matters: Effects and Side Effects of Education”
ESF is delighted to be in the position to offer our parents’ community the following Keynote:
“What Matters: Effects and Side Effects of Education” by Professor Yong Zhao
It will take place on Saturday 7th September at Quarry Bay School from 9.00 to 10.30 am.
This is a first-come, first-served, – maximum 300 places event. Registration link: http://bit.ly/Zhao_2019
PTA News
By Monica Brennand, Acting PTA Chairperson & Lin Gong, PTA Administrator
PTA Shop hours are from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
P.T.A. Annual General Meeting
The P.T.A. Annual General Meeting is scheduled to take place on 17 September at 6:00 PM in the school hall for the following purposes:
- To receive and consider the audited Financial Statements of the Company for the year ended 30th June, 2019
- To appoint the Auditors for the 2019/20 fiscal year, J.B &Co Certified Public Accountants
- To elect Executive Committee members for the year 2019/20
- To conduct any other ordinary business of the Company
As members of the PTA all parents are invited to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting.
Election of the 2019/20 PTA Executive Committee will take place and all parents are eligible to vote. If you wish join the PTA Committee or nominate another parent to do so, please complete the nomination form. Forms should be returned to pta@bradbury.edu.hk by email or to the PTA office on/before 10 September 2019.
The Agenda, Financial Reports, Minutes and Nomination form are available on the School website (PTA – AGM and PTA Accounts).
If you would like to attend please RSVP by email pta@bradbury.edu.hk
Year 1 Cake Sale
The Year 1 cake sale will be held on Thursday, 12th September 2019. We would be grateful if each year 1 Student could contribute one dozen (only) individual sized cakes for this event. Please have your child deliver the cakes to the school hall on Thursday morning.
Reminder: No Single Use Plastic please! Try to use reusable containers which need to be clearly label both the top and bottom with your child’s name and class. Any single use plastic containers will be sent home.
Please remember:
- NO NUTS OR NO NUTS PRODUCTS (incl. NUTELLA)
- NO INDIVIDUAL PLASTIC WRAPPING REQUIRED
Although brownies and cupcakes are very popular, Bradbury School encourages healthy eating. To encourage children to make a healthier choice we would love to see alternatives that are more nutritious and lower in sugar.
Volunteers – we require 9 helpers on the day between 9:30am and 11:00am, please email your class parent or the PTA at pta@bradbury.edu.hk or call 2893 2256 if you can help.
If you would like your child/children to buy a cake, please provide them with $10 and they will have an opportunity to buy a cake at morning break on Thursday.
Class Parents
We will advise you of these asap if you have not already been informed. Many thanks to Biraj Raman for taking on the role of PTA Class Parent Coordinator.
Third-Party Organised After School Activities
Dear Parents,
The following companies are currently hiring our facilities to provide extra curricular activities for students. You may browse the school website under “LIFE AT BRADBURY” for their programs and enroll your child directly to the company:
ESF Sports, contact 2711 1280 or sports@esf.org.hk website: www.esf.org.hk
Soccer & Basketball Training – Adventure Sports Academy Ltd, contact Eilis Cheung at 3998 4042
or info@adventuresportsacademy.com
website: www.adventuresportsacademy.com
Fabric Art, Fabric Design, Crafting & Creative Sewing – Alifya Kasubhai, contact at 9281 5290
or contact@fabricart-hk.com
website: www.fabricart-hk.com
Sanskriti/Hindi Language Class – Brilliant Learning
International Ltd., contact Geetanjali Dhar
at 3563 4300 or info@sanskritiglobal.org
website: www.sanskritiglobal.org
Singing, Acting, Dancing – Ballet, Jazz, Tap Dance – CentreStage Studios HK Ltd., contact Imogen Taylor or Kaijah Bell at 5236 7960 or 2689 2272
or admin@centrestagestudioshk.com
website: www.centrestagestudioshk.com
Chess Class & Camp – HoYinPingChess, contact Yin Ping Ho at 9215 2682 or hoyinpingchess@gmail.com
website: https://www.hoyinpingchess.com/
Swedish Language and Culture – Swedish Cultural
Society, contact Linda at 9316-6599
or svenskaskolanhongkong@hotmail.com
website: www.svenskaskolan.hk
N.B. Bradbury School is not responsible for the quality and safety of programmes offered by third parties. However, please note that all hirers are required to provide third party liability insurance. Parents are urged to take steps to ensure that they are satisfied with any and all aspects of the after school programme(s) they elect to opt in to.
