BRADBURY NEWSLETTER-9 FEBRUARY 2018
Greetings to all our Bradbury community
It seems strange to be at school without our children. It just does not have the same life or vitality without them and we look forward to welcoming them back after the Chinese New Year break.
Having said that, as a school, we support the EDB’s decision to bring the CNY break forward for our students. By doing this, it is reducing the opportunity for cross infection, which means that the spread of this devastating flu can be reduced. It is also giving us the opportunity to disinfect the whole school thoroughly, with every surface being cleaned and all equipment being washed.
My best to you all for a wonderful Chinese New Year. Please join us for our own school celebration on the 5th March.
Sandra Webster
Principal
Important Dates
| DATE | EVENT | TIME |
| 12 February 2018 (Monday) –
15 February 2018 (Thursday) |
Classes Suspended per EDB
(No Students in School) |
—— |
| 14 February 2018 (Wednesday) | Letters for Incoming Year 1 Acceptance Out | |
| 16 February 2018- (Friday) –
23 February 2018 – (Friday) |
Chinese New Year Holidays (No Classes) | _____ |
| 26 February 2018 (Monday) | Classes Resume after the CNY Holidays | 8:30 a.m. |
| 27 February 2018 (Tuesday) | Year 6 Immunizations | |
| 27 February 2018 (Tuesday) | Last Day to Accept Incoming Y1 Places | |
| 01 March 2018 (Thursday) | Year 3 P.T.A. Cake Sale | 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. |
| 05 March 2018 (Monday) | Chinese New Year Celelbrations
Lion Dance |
9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
1:15 p.m. |
| 07 March 2018 (Wednesday) | Parent Teacher Meetings | 3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. |
| 15 March 2018 (Thursday) | Parent Teacher Meetings | 3:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. |
| 16 March 2018 (Friday) | P.T.A. Curry and Quiz Night | 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. |
| 17 March 2018 (Saturday) | ESF 50th Anniversary Carnival (KGV) | 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. |
| 22 March 2018 (Thursday) | Year 2 P.T.A. Cake Sale | 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. |
| 29 March 2018 (Thursday) | Last Day of Term ( School ends at 12 noon) | 12:00 noon |
| 30 March 2018 (Friday) –
13 April 2018 (Friday) inclusive |
Easter Holidays | ——- |
| 16 April 2018 (Monday) | Classes Resume after the Easter Holidays | 8:30 a.m. |
| 26 April 2018 (Thursday) | P.T.A. Sausage Sizzle | 12:00 p.m. |
| 27 April 2018 (Friday) | Action Day | |
| 30 April 2018 (Monday) | CPD Day – No Classes | —– |
| 01 May 2018 (Tuesday) | Labour Day – Public Holiday | —– |
Chinese New Year 2018
By Lynette Pang, Head of Chinese Department
Due to the current suspension of classes for students this week we need to postpone our planned Chinese New Year Celebrations. We will re-schedule this event to March 5th (Monday) from 9:00 am to 12:30 noon. In the afternoon the Lion Dance performance will start at 1:15pm.
All students are invited to come dressed in Chinese costumes on the day. This is an optional choice and children are also able to wear their regular school uniform.
We wish you and your family a prosperous year.
PYP Update
By Amanda Bremner, PYP Coordinator
Our Year 6 students are beginning to work on the Exhibition Unit of Inquiry which is the most important unit of the IB Primary Years Program (PYP). In the lead up to this, students have been inquiring into their own passions and interests as well as their personal strengths and weaknesses. The students recently attended the Agents of Change day at Kowloon Junior School which was a fantastic opportunity for them to meet passionate Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and learn about the work that these organisations do in our local community. After identifying a passion/interest to focus on for the Exhibition, the students have been grouped and staff are currently working with them, to review important skills needed during the Exhibition, through weekly mentor meetings. The students will now formulate their groups essential agreement which will enable them to have a successful 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 passions/interests, 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 that they have learnt throughout their primary schooling. It will be an expectation that students exhibit independence. They 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 them. 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 them out.
During the exhibition there will be many opportunities for student leadership and ownership and an increased emphasis on:
- Flexible timetabling over an extended time frame
- A 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
- The 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 eight-week unit ends with an impressive day, where all the students gather to share their work to an audience of students, invited guests and staff from ESF and, of course, parents. This will take place on the 27th March, 2018.
Agents of Change Day 2018
Year 6 students recently attended the ESF Agents of Change Day where students got to meet local NGOs and learn about the work they do in our community. This was a great opportunity for the students to hear about local HK issues and see how people have taken action based on their passions/interests.
Gateway Parent Consultation Booking
By John Ainsworth, Vice Principal
Parent Consultations for Term 2 will be organised on the following dates:
- Wednesday 07th March 2018 (3pm-6.30pm)
- Thursday 15th March 2018 (3pm-6.30pm)
The Gateway Parent Consultation Booking system will be open for Parents to book appointments from 12th February to 05th March 2018.
If you wish to secure an appointment please log onto Gateway and book a time that is convenient for you.
Year 1 Excursion: Tamar Park
By Anna Gardener, Year Group Leader
Over the past 2 weeks all Year 1 classes have visited Tamar Park, looking at the positive and negative effects people have on environments. Although it was a little chilly children enjoyed looking around and doing some sketching. Thank you to all the parents who came out and supported this trip.
Environment Update: Eco Schools
By Lorinda Thomas, Environment Leader
This year Bradbury School has registered with the Eco Schools Program. The program aims to guide schools towards reducing their environmental footprint and implementing sustainable actions.
To begin the program a team of Year 4 Eco-Dudes worked during their break times to complete an Environmental Review. Together they answered close to 150 questions across the 10 themes of Litter, Waste Minimisation, Energy, Water, Transport, School Grounds, Biodiversity, Global Citizenship, Health and Well-Being and Climate Change. Some questions were closed questions which could answered directly but others required more in depth investigation and consultation with other members of the school community.
Although this was a time consuming process, it yielded some fantastic results. It was very clear to see that Bradbury School are already hugely successful in a number of these themes. Some of our current achievements can be viewed under the Greening at Bradbury tab at www.bradbury.edu.hk A copy of the Environmental Review has been posted on the noticeboard on Level 2 for viewing by the school community.
The Year 4 Eco-Dudes had some great suggestions of what action we could take. It was decided that this year we would work towards improving our knowledge and understanding of Global Citizenship, Water Conservation and Energy. Three separate investigations have been integrated into the curriculum in Years 4, 5 and 6.
Year 4 students from across the year level have signed up to work with Mr Ainsworth during the Friday STEAM sessions. Their focus will be to investigate our current water usage and develop some water saving protocols.
In Year 5, students are currently investigating our electricity usage as a part of their Sharing the Planet unit of Inquiry. Once they have taken detailed observations, they will be able to develop an action plan to reduce and monitor Bradbury’s electricity use.
Year 6 Action Agents have begun to investigate Fair Trade. They hope to raise the school community’s awareness of Fair Trade products and introduce Fair Trade goods into the staffroom for staff use.
Skylina and the Rainbow
Hong Kong Young Writer’s Awards entry by Isabel Clark, Year 3
At the hospital a baby was born. It was no ordinary baby. That baby was magical. It was named Skylina. And even more amazing, she could talk, walk, and read by herself. One day when Skylina was three years old she saw a rainbow and she decided that when her parents weren’t looking she would travel to the end of the rainbow. She started packing right away. This is what she packed: 3 blankets, a pillow and a bottle of water. When the time finally came she ran away into the woods. She ran and ran until she was 100 miles away from her home and then she felt too tired. Skylina made a tent out of sticks, that were about the same height, and one of the blankets she brought. Just before bedtime she met a spider friend named Ava who wanted to join Skylina’s adventure.
In the middle of the night, a strong gust of wind blew Skylina’s tent down. Skylina and Ava woke up. Skylina helped Ava get up then they built the tent again. And Ava used her strongest web to tie the tent together. In the morning they walked a long way until lunchtime. Skylina picked some wild berries for lunch.
Then they started walking and suddenly the trees started falling. Skylina realized they were in the falling forest. Skylina clutched Ava as she ran through the falling forest at the end of the forest there was a cave. At the mouth of the cave there was a sign that read ….. MONSTER CAVE DO NOT ENTER! It was the only way to get to the other side. Skylina was really scared but she had to do it. They tiptoed into the cave. Halfway through the cave they heard stomping. Skylina saw there were monsters! When Skylina and a monster were close enough to touch something amazing happened the monster turned into a boy named Billy. Billy explained that he was turned into a monster by a wicked witch and the way to break the spell was if a human came close enough to touch.
Skylina asked Billy if he would like to join her adventure and Billy said yes. They walked through the cave but they kept tripping on skeletons. After a thousand more trips they saw a clearing. It was the end of the rainbow. There was nothing but a gigantic house that Skylina and her friends decided to live in. Then Skylina heard some sobbing. Inside the cave there was a little girl. “What’s the matter?”, asked Skylina. “I was going for a hike with my mom and dad but I lost them.” came a faint reply. “What’s your name?” “Leah.” replied the girl. “Oh my name is Skylina. Do you want to live in the house outside of the cave with me and my friends?” asked Skylina. “Sure!” Leah replied.
And from then on Skylina and her friends lived there their whole life.
Bradbury School Action Day
By Carol Farrington, Action Leader & Amanda Bremner, PYP Leader
To celebrate the Action that students have been initiating and taking part in, our Action Day this year will partly involve packing toiletries to make up hygiene kits for some of Hong Kong’s poorest people.
The collection is going quite well, but we are quite long way off from reaching our goal of 3,000 kits. We’re also running a competition with a prize for the class who collects the most items.
So how’s the collection going? As for February 2nd, the total from the year groups are:
Year 1—612
Year 2—1,453
Year 3—1,222
Year 4—1,284
Year 5—1,065
Year 6—32
Well done Year 2!
KEEP COLLECTING… INVOLVE YOUR FRIENDS & RELATIVES
- While on your travels during the Chinese New Year holidays, be sure to collect unused goods such as soap, shampoos, conditioners, tooth brush kits etc. Also medium size plastic bags to pack the soaps, shampoo etc kits into!
- If you are in a position to purchase children’s books in a language other than English, we will reimburse you for up to five, on production of a receipt.
Year 6 (2017-2018): Diphtheria, Tetanus and Poliomyelitis Vaccination
By Lauren Lau, Health Professional, School Nurse
The immunisation team of the Health Department will visit our School on the 27th of February 2018 (Tuesday). They will provide the Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Poliomyelitis (DTP) Vaccination for 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 will be distributed in class. Please fill in either the consent form/ refusal form and return it to the medical room before 26th of February (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.
Library News
By Jane Thompson, Teacher Librarian & Connie Leung, Library Assistant
SOUTH AFRICA MOBILE LIBRARY-ENGLISH BOOKS FOR COLLECTION
Sony Corporation of Hong Kong are collecting gently used, English children’s story books for the South Africa Mobile Library project. It’s a great opportunity to send used books to a good home. If you would like to donate books to this cause then please read the information below. We will collect any donations from you in the Bradbury School Library and organise for the Sony Corporation to collect the books.
South Africa Mobile Library – Children’s Books for Collection
We accept books as follows :
- Written in English Language
- Suitable for 6-12 years old
- Pages should not be yellow or brown (due to aging)
- No missing or torn pages
- No scribbling on the pages
- No Textbook
- No Magazines
- No Encyclopedias
Donate English story books…… to fill a child’s world with knowledge
Sony Hong Kong continues to make contributions to the South Africa Mobile Library Project, aiming to enrich the lives of children in the rural areas.
In South Africa, 50 mobile libraries travel to reach 900 schools in all 9 provinces, providing free and easy access to books for the children.
Donate English Story Books
English story books are needed to keep those mobile libraries running.
South Africa Mobile Library Project is organized by
South Africa Primary Education Support Initiative (SAPESI)
We look forward to receiving your donations. Your support will be highly appreciated.
South Africa Mobile Library – Children’s Books for Collection You Tube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_gzezJ4720&authuser=0
PARENT HELPERS WANTED!
Ms Gallen and myself are looking volunteers to help with the labeling of Guided Reading Books. If you have time to come in and help please email me on jane.thompson@bradbury.edu.hk. Anytime during the school day is fine so fit us in around your schedule.
READING IN UNUSUAL PLACES
We are running the Reading in Unusual Places competition again this year. We are now accepting entries and the competition will close on Friday 2nd March. The three winners will have their photos published in the Bradbury School Yearbook. Please note that you can only submit only one photo per student.
Email entries to me at jane.thompson@bradbury.edu.hk.
Chinese Talent Show
By Lynette Pang, Head of Chinese Department
Bradbury School is proud to be one of the schools hosting The 4th International Zhou Youguang Cup Chinese Talent Show. It is now time for interested students to register for this event and it’s great to see that we already have over 30 Bradbury students registered. This is an opportunity for students to showcase their reading, reciting, singing or other skills in Chinese language. To see the categories and how to enter please click on the links below. One site has information about the competition, and the other is the registration link. Please note that the deadline for registration is January 26th, 2018 . No late registrations will be accepted by the organisers.
The cheque for registration can be sent into Bradbury School to Ms Fritzi at the front desk. Please ensure that your child’s full name, the school name (Bradbury School), and the competition sections that they are entering are clearly written on the back of the cheque. The cheque is made payable to: HONG KONG ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF PINYIN QUALITY EDUCATION (PYQE)
This is a great opportunity for our students to practise their Chinese skills for an authentic and fun purpose. We will be offering lunchtime sessions in the coming months to support students in preparing for the competition. This will be advertised to students after Chinese New Year. We look forward to seeing many Bradbury students having a go.
Information Booklet:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x6UWEpkWap_kJi7bmILTg0k7eHJRUM6j/view
Online Registration:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHteb_TN0y7BU7x8AqkPy_KYpnv_0_naa0C6LYZ9zf6Cm6gA/viewform
P.T.A. News
By Julia Dunn, PTA Chairperson, Catherine Hufton, Vice Chairman & Lin Gong, Bradbury School PTA Limited
The Year 3 Cake Sale will be held on Thursday, 1st March 2018. We would be grateful if each year 3 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. If you would like your container returned, please clearly label both the top and bottom with your child’s name and class. Please remember no nuts or nut products.
Although brownies and cupcakes are very popular, there is a school wide focus on health this year. To encourage children to make healthier choices we would love to see some alternatives that 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.
‘ESF The First 50 Years’ is now published! This volume chronicles the ESF story, highlighting key events over the last 50 years. It also celebrates the successes and contributions of our students and staff, both past and current.
What’s in the Book?
- Stories of ESF’s major developments and milestones over the past five decades
- Interviews of all 22 ESF schools with key historic events and current whole school photos
- Exclusive interviews of 22 prominent alumni
- Interesting stories from 5 key leaders and 12 long-serving staff
The book is now available for sale via the ESF website: www.esf.edu.hk/50th-book/. Copies are also be available in major bookshops in Hong Kong.
Enquiries: 50book@esfcentre.edu.hk
More details: http://www.esf.edu.hk/2017/12/11/esf50-book/
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
Adventure Sports Academy Ltd. – Soccer & Basketball Training, contact Eilis Cheung at 3998 4042 or info@adventuresportsacademy.com
Website: www.adventuresportsacademy.com
Backershagen B.V. (LanguageOne) – Global Mother Tongue Education, contact Leandra Lok at 5501 5262 or
leandra.lok@languageone.nl Website: www.languageone.nl
Brilliant Learning International Ltd. (Sanskriti) – Sanskriti/Hindi Language Class, contact Geetanjali Dhar at 3563 4300 or info@sanskritiglobal.org Website: www.sanskritiglobal.org
CentreStage Studios HK Ltd. – Singing, Acting, Dancing – Ballet, Jazz, Tap Dance, contact Imogen Taylor or Kaijah Bell at 5236 7960 or 2689 2272 or admin@centrestagestudioshk.com
Website: www.centrestagestudioshk.com
Discovery Dome Hong Kong Ltd. – Astronomy Club with a Portable Mobile Planetarium, contact Lorne Ali at 9754 4081 or lorneali@hotmail.com
Website www.discoverydome.hk
Foundation Academy Ltd. – Foundation’s Filmmaker, contact Foundation Academy at 3107 8810 or
academy@foundationge.com Website: http://www.foundationacademy.co/filmmaker/
HoYinPingChess – Chess Class, Holiday Camp, contact Yin Ping Ho at 9215 2682 or hoyinpingchess@gmail.com Website: www.hoyinpingchess.com/index/lesson.html / www.hoyinpingchess.com/index/camp.html
Hong Kong Star Basketball Training Centre Limited – Basketball, contact Yuki Lai at 9669 4280 or yukilai@hk-bbstc.com Website: www.hk-bbstc.org
Move For Life Ltd. – “Move” Dance Class, contact Rosie Martin at 5491 2473 or info@moveforlife.asia Website: www.moveforlife.asia
Starlit Voice Ltd. – LAMDA Musical Theatre & Group Drama, contact Vincent Warren at 2108 2182 or info@starlit.hk Website: www.starlitvoice.com
Swedish Cultural Society – Swedish Language and Culture, 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.
