Bradbury Newsletter 29 January 2016

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Greetings to you all!

We have survived the cold and trust you have also! The past two weeks have been particularly busy for me as I have been out of school on an ESF recruitment panel for a variety of teaching roles.  It is great to be back. I miss the positive energy of our staff and students when I am away.

My best to you all for a wonderful Chinese New Year and for wonderful family celebrations as we welcome in the Year of the Monkey.

Sandra Webster

Principal

IMPORTANT DATES

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS IN SCHOOL

At school, children have been learning about Chinese New Year customs and traditions. They will be able to help you with New Year decorations and to share some legends of this festival with you. To lift the festival spirit, could I ask you to dress your children in Chinese costumes on Friday, 05 February?

We will have a lion dance at 1.30 p.m.

Thank you very much for your great cooperation.

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Lynette Pang  – Head of Chinese Department

CHANGING RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

After logging in you should choose Admin >select Change Request > choose the type(s) of information you would like to amend.  Please check and update the information on the screen and attach/upload the proof of address for verification.  An email notification notification will be sent to you with the outcome of the request.  Valid address proof could be any utility bills or lease contract.

If your change of address is outside of the Bradbury School catchment area, two valid documents are required as proof.

Thank you.

John Ainsworth – Vice Principal/Middle Phase

MASSMUTUAL JR SPACE CAMP 2016 PROGRAM

Moreover, to help our young applicants grow through interactive activities and challenges, an all around Jr. Astronaut Training Camp will be held prior to the 2^nd Round Competition in early May this year.  The 50 short-listed applicants, together with a parent, will participate in a two day one night training camp consisting of a space-exploration program conducted by the Hong Kong Space Museum, and an adventure-based experiential learning course.

Following the rigorous selection process, the eight finalists, each accompanied by one parent, will embark on a nine-day space exploration journey, including an intensive training program at the US Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama and a visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Students are encourage to enrol in the Jr. Space Camp Program.  To give you a clearer picture of the Program, the 2016 program pamphlets and promotion posters are in the office.  You can also find further details about the program via www.itispossible.com.hk or on the Program’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mma.spacecamp.

Amanda Bremner – P.Y.P. Co-ordinator

P.Y.P. PARENT INFORMATION SESSION

Clayton Heggie and I will be running a parent information session on Action in the PYP for all interested parents on the 18th February from 8.30 am to 9.30 am in the Multipurpose Room. This will focus on what is action, the different types of action and what are we doing here at Bradbury in Years 1 – 6.

Please let Ms. Fritzi know in the office if you are interested in attending this session.

Feeding People in Need

Our next feed will be held on the 1^st March (Tuesday) in conjunction with Sunshine Action.  Students in Years 4-6 are welcome to join along with any families in our community. If you are interested please let Ms. Fritzi know in the school office. More information will follow closer to the actual date.

Amanda Bremner – P.Y.P. Co-ordinator

MEDICAL NEWS

YEAR 1 and YEAR 6 (2015-2016) –  Diphtheria, Tetanus and Poliomyelitis Vaccination

 The immunisation team of the Health Department will visit our School on 9 March, 2016 (Wednesday). They will provide the Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Poliomyelitis (DTP) Vaccination for Year 1 and Year 6 students only. The vaccination that the nurses provide is funded by the Hong Kong Government, and does not require a fee.

The forms have been distributed in class. Please fill in either the consent form/ refusal form, and return it to the medical room before 29 February 2016 (Monday).

Please complete the form, and attach your child’s immunisation records (copy or original is accepted). The medical records will be returned to you immediately after the immunisation.

If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.

Lauren Lau – Health Professional

HONG KONG YOUNG WRITERS AWARDS 2016 (HKYWA)

The following students have had their entries selected to be sent in to represent our school this year :

Congratulations to all these students.  Although the display will be taken down from the foyer to make way for our Chinese New Year decorations, we will publish entries in this newsletter over the rest of the year, so that you can enjoy the efforts of our wonderful writers. Look for the first one in this newsletter.

Therese Gallen – Vice Principal/Lower Phase Leader

THE GREAT STRAKER SEND-OFF

To the Bradbury parent community,

Jonathan Straker has worked for ESF for 34 years and we are looking for alumni of Bradbury,  Beacon Hill or the Peak Schools who were taught by him in his early days.  We would like to cordially invite alumni to join us on the evening of Friday 11th March  7pm at Aberdeen Boat Club for a tribute to Jonathan.  It will be a night of fun, laughter and memories.

We recognise that not everyone can come, but even if you can’t please complete the form to indicate your attendance and/or willingness to send a video/written/photo contribution if you can’t attend in person.

Please complete the form The Great Straker Send-off. To fill it out, visit: http://bit.ly/Jonathan_2016

One of the planning group will contact you

Chris Durbin                                       杜里斯

School Development Adviser     学校发展顾问

Tel +852 3762 2510                           电话:   852 37622510

Mobile +852 6770 0191                   手提电话:852 67700191

H.K. JAZZ FAMILY FESTIVAL 2016

YEAR 6  P.Y.P.  EXHIBITION

What is the Exhibition?

The Exhibition Unit is an exciting opportunity for Year 6 children to exhibit and celebrate what they have learned throughout their Bradbury schooling. Students are expected to synthesise the essential elements of the PYP programme and share these with the school community. They identify, investigate and offer solutions to real-life issues and problems while exhibiting the attributes of the PYP learner profile.  In this unit, teachers and parents support students to utilise the many skills they have learnt throughout their primary schooling. It will be an expectation that students exhibit independence and will be given the opportunity to create their own plan for learning, to conduct learning activities, to demonstrate what they have learned and to assemble an exhibit where they can interact with an audience in a meaningful way about something that is important to the students themselves. Students are provided with opportunities to engage in action and are expected to reflect and apply their learning to choose appropriate courses of action and then carry it out.

During the exhibition there should be many opportunities for student leadership and ownership and an increased emphasis on:

·   Flexible timetabling over an extended time frame

·   Range of assessments developed with students

·   Students reflecting and keeping evidence of their learning throughout the process

·   Personal responsibility, management and accountability by students

·   Community based inquiry, working with and presenting to the school and wider community

·   Teacher as a facilitator and observer

·   Utilising a range of teachers, mentors, advisors and specialists

·   Student empowerment – direct student involvement in a selected issue and organization and presentation of the inquiry

The entire learning process is done in small, collaborative study groups according to PYP inquiry principles and practices. The nine-week unit ends with an impressive evening, where all the students gather to exhibit their work to an audience of, invited guests. This will take place on the 22 March, 2016.

Amanda Bremner – P.Y.P. Co-ordinator

HOW MINDSETS CAN BE TRANSMITTED – PRAISE

Praising by saying “So good” “Well done”, praising intelligence, saying someone is gifted actually puts them off learning and lowers IQ. This is focused on the individual and perpetuates the idea that intelligence is fixed. Whereas praise of the process, which is not personalized, for focusing and persistence inspires people to learn and to flourish.

Videos about how to praise children:

3 ways to praise kids without saying “good job” –

http://www.gostrengths.com/3-ways-to-praise-kids-without-saying-good-job/

https://www.youtube.com/v/NWv1VdDeoRY

Praising for Effort

·  Hey, I’ve noticed how hard you’ve been studying and your grades show it.

·  Yes, that was a long, hard assignment but you stuck through it and mastered it.

·  You really worked hard and learned some tough material. Impressive!

·  You kept trying new strategies until you figured out what worked. That’s called persistence.

·  I noticed how you stayed with your homework and put great concentration on it.

·  Yes this project is going to take a lot of work, but I believe in your getting through it.

·  Whew! You did it. It was a tough job but you stuck to it and got it done.

· You kept your focus until the job was done. That’s great!

  Famous Failure: Dr Seuss

C. Farrington – P.S.E. Leader

YEAR 4 ORGANIC FARM TRIP

Claudia Tarr – Y4 Leader

The students in Year 5 are currently inquiring into how emotions are expressed through a range of mediums, how different art forms influence and audience and how people evaluate emotive messages. The students have been exploring many different art forms over the past week and are now ‘deep diving’ into one chosen art form to produce a piece of art work which will represent a chosen emotion.

Amanda Bremner – P.Y.P. Coordinator

MOUTHGUARDS FOR SALE:

Mouthguards are now available in the P.T.A. Office.  They cost HK$55.00 each.

Many thanks

The P.T.A. SHOP will be closed for Monday 1 February 2016.  Thank you.

Lin Gong – Bradbury School PTA Limited

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Life was tough in 1974 as it was hard to make money in China. Every little penny would go towards school for their children. Everyone turned to the only job option which was to work as a farmer worker, which had good pay and something that did not take a lot of skill.

Li Chan was sent to work on a farm in Xi’an China. He was a very bubbly and pleasant person who always saw the bright side of things. Li Chan was 27 and his family needed money to get food and send the kids to school. Li Chan knew his family was counting on him so he had to try his best.

Zhang Wei was 56 and needed to make money so his wife could have a happy life. Zhang Wei was grumpy and never smiled and suffered from a sore back. He was also sent to the same farm as Li Chan. He did not want to fail his only chance to show his wife how much he cared for her.

When Zhang Wei and Li Chan arrived at the farm they were greeted by several other men and women who were going to work at the farm. A man called out the partners and what they would be doing “Zhang Wei and Li Chan you are going to dig a well,” the man said. So they went to get shovels and got digging.

Hours later Li Chan stumbled across something hard with his shovel. He bent down and to his astonishment there was a clay soldier staring at him in the face. Li Chan had heard myths that thousands of warriors were buried with the emperor when he died and now he was not sure if he had found one. He told Zhang Wei and he could not believe his eyes. He thought that his brain was playing tricks on him.

They kept digging hoping to find more warriors. Hours and hours later they came across a massive temple. The temple was built with blocks that looked that if anyone touched them the whole temple would collapse. The two farmers were awestruck and spellbound at their discovery. When no one was looking they jumped down the hole to explore this ancient miracle.

They landed with a bump and quickly gathered themselves together and began trying to find a way into the temple. Then suddenly Zhang Wei found a large doorway that was wide open. He called out with a grumble   ”I found a way in, get over here slowcoach,” and they were probably the most important words of this amazing adventure.

When they made it inside they found themselves in a room with rows and rows of the same clay sculptures which to their amazement the clay sculptures were all different no two warriors were the same. They explored even more and found a room with warriors that were covered in bright paint. Their favourite warrior was one that wore a red coat and a green shirt.

Meanwhile up on the farm the farm workers were frantically running around trying to find Li Chan and Zhang Wei who had disappeared hours ago. The farmers were looking as far as the eye can see hoping to find them. They kept on looking and looking but hours later there was still no sign of Li Chan and Zhang Wei.

Later that day the farm workers were sitting in the hall devouring their dinner because they had been working very hard and were extremely hungry. The owner of the farm got all the farmers attention and told them the update on the missing people.”I have decided to call the police,” said the farm owner ”I feel it is the best thing to do if we want to find the two men,” he  continued. The other farmers murmured in agreement.

Early the next morning the owner of the farm called the police.”Hello my name is Zhang Yong and I’d like to report that two men have gone missing on a farm in Xi’an,” the policeman replied in a deep voice” I  will send a team over to investigate ,” and with that the policeman hung up.

Hours later three policemen showed up at the farm. All the police men were wearing blue short sleeved shirts with badges that looked like they were made of real gold.One of the policemen asked “Have you looked anywhere on this farm?”Yes,” replied Zhang Yong “We’ve been looking everywhere,” and with that the policemen got thinking.

“I’ve got it,” announced one of the policemen.”Where  did you see them last?”Um they were digging a hole over here,” replied Zhong Yong. When they reached the hole the policemen looked down it and to their surprise they saw two tired and hungry men both trying to climb up and get out of the hole. The two men they saw were none other than Li Chan and Zhang Wei.

As the policemen looked around the hole not only did they find the two missing men but they also found a staggering amount of terracotta warriors. The policemen were so surprised that they totally forgot about the two men struggling, jumping straight down the hole to get a better view of the amazing clay sculptures.

The next day Li Chan and Zhang Wei sat with all the other farmers talking about their incredible adventure. Suddenly journalists from the The Xi’an Daily newspaper arrived at the farm willing to pay a big amount of money to hear the story and publish it in the newspaper. Of course Li Chan and Zhang Wei said yes because they wanted to make money for their families.

Later that week the two men returned to their families with pockets full of cash. Their families were so proud. Li Chan was able to send his kids to school and afford enough food for the whole family. Zhong Wei made his wife proud and they moved into a bigger house in a better location. The two men  had fulfilled their goals.