Principal’s Message 21 August 2015
Dear Parents,
We have been delighted with the smooth start to the 2015/16 school year. Thank you for your support and we look forward to working with you throughout the year.
As part of our Assessment, Recording and Reporting process (ARR), you are invited to meet your child’s new teacher to receive information about the curriculum for 2015/16, general information about classroom procedures and about how you can support your child at home. At Bradbury School, we greatly value our parent partnership and believe that strong school/home links enhance the education of our children. In order to ensure common home/school understandings, it is important that you attend these sessions.
I am sure you will appreciate that this particular forum is not conducive to a confidential individual consultation. However, should you wish to meet individually with the teacher on another occasion, you are welcome to do so by mutual agreement.
Limited car parking will be available in the playground.
I look forward to meeting you all. Please read my blog, accessible on our website!
Yours sincerely,
Sandra Webster
Principal
Parent Introductory Meetings
Thursday 27th August 2015
Y1 & Y2: 5.00-6.00pm
6.00 – 6.30- ‘The Year Ahead’ – Principal’s Address, Gym
Monday 31st August 2015
Y5 & Y6: 5.00-6.00pm
6.00 – 6.30- ‘The Year Ahead’ – Principal’s Address, Multipurpose Room
Tuesday 1st September 2015
Y3 & Y4: 5.00–6.00pm
6.00 – 6.30- ‘The Year Ahead’ – Principal’s Address, Multipurpose Room
CONTINUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) DAYS
Each year, we have five CPD days built into our school calendar for staff professional development. Attendance is a contractual staff obligation. These are in addition to the mandated number of student contact days. That is, we need to be open 185 days for students. Our academic year is 190 days, thus absorbing the 5 CPD days.
I try to make the CPD days as convenient for parents as possible. Ideally, the days are set well in advance to give you as much notice as possible.
The following are the CPD days for Bradbury School:
- 4 September 2015
- 2 October 2015
- 29 April 2016
- 10 June 2016
- plus one yet to be determined
MUSIC NEWS
Children at Bradbury School have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument and lessons are taught by experienced peripatetic teachers as follows:
Violin – Years 1 – 6 Guitar – Years 2 – 6 Drums Years 3 to 6 Trumpet Years 4 to 6
Flute Years 4 to 6 Clarinet Years 4 to 6 Saxophone Years 5 and 6
These lessons are generally taught individually, either at lunchtime or after school and on a private basis. Lessons costs approximately $300 for 30 minutes, but this does vary slightly depending on the teacher. The school has several clarinets and flutes that can be rented for $500/term and guitars for $400/term. If you would like your child to begin lessons, please email Mr Clothier in the Music Departmen (gethyn.clothier@bradbury.edu.hk) stating your child’s name, class and preferred instrument. One of the instrumental teachers will then contact you to discuss specific arrangements such as time and cost of lessons, purchase of instrument, any books needed, etc.
SCHOOL CHOIRS
The Upper Choir, for children in Years 4 to 6, will continue to rehearse on Thursdays from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. and this will begin in September.
The Lower Choir, for children in Years 2 and 3, rehearses on Wednesday lunchtimes and will also begin in September.
ORCHESTRA
The school orchestra will rehearse on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:45 p.m. This is for children who play an orchestral instrument to at least grade 2 level.
I will send out further details about the starting dates for choirs and orchestra at the beginning of September.
Thanks you.
Gethyn Clothier – Head of Performing Arts
P.E. NEWS
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:
Please note that the after school sign up sheet for sport will be available on the GATEWAY next week once all offsite facilities have been confirmed. You can access them under the Activities tag.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your cooperation and I look forward to working with you this academic year.
P.E. LESSONS ATTIRE:
Please note that for all Swimming and PE lessons no jewelry should be worn at any time. Newly pierced ears should be covered with plasters or a swimming cap. Correct clothing attire should also be worn for health and safety reasons;
P.E. Lessons-Trainers, school shorts and t-shirt. Long hair should be tied back. Nails short.
Swimming Lessons-Appropriate swimming attire, swim hat, towel and flip flops. Please note that goggles are optional.
I look forward to working with you this year in a variety of sporting fields and thank you for your continued support.
Nicola Jackson – P.E. Leader
P.T.A. NEWS
WELCOME BACK!
We would like to welcome back all of our Bradbury families and extend a special welcome to our new families joining this year. We hope that you all had a fantastic summer and are ready for what will be an exciting and busy year ahead.
This will be my first year as your P.T.A. Chairperson and I can’t wait to get started. The main events to look forward to are:
AGM / WINE AND TAPAS EVENING – OCTOBER
WINTER NIGHT MARKET – NOVEMBER
Dates to be confirmed at the first PTA meeting so WATCH THIS SPACE!
RAFFLE PRIZES
The Winter Night Market is our major fundraising event for the year. Last year we raised over $240,000 of which $160,00 was just from the raffle!
As you can imagine great prizes will mean even more tickets sold.
It would be fantastic if any Bradbury parents would be willing to donate one of the major prizes this year. If you can help please contact the PTA at pta@bradbury.edu.hk
Examples of previous prizes are:
- Hotel / villa vouchers
- Restaurant vouchers
- Vouchers for spa or salon treatments
- Vouchers for retail outlets / activities
- Vouchers for photographic sessions
- Jewellery / Handbags / Accessories
We would also love to hear from anyone who runs their own business or works for a company that may be willing to donate a prize.
School Calendar
The 2015/16 School Calendar will be ready for distribution at the end of next week. A big thank you to Venus Lee who has done a great job yet again.
Each family is issued with one calendar as part of their PTA membership. If you do not receive yours, please contact Lin Gong in the PTA office and make sure that your membership fee of $600 has been paid.
PE Uniform
The great new green P.E. Shirt is now for sale in the PTA shop ($195/$200).
It is not compulsory to purchase the new design, however we are no longer selling the white one. This means there will be a transition period when both styles can be worn.
We would love to hear from anyone who has any suggestions, comments or questions or if you are interested in getting involved. Just contact a committee member or email the P.T.A. at pta@bradbury.edu.hk. The P.T.A. committee member information is on our P.T.A. website.
Julia Dunn – Acting P.T.A. Chairperson
FOOD ANGEL CANNED FOOD COMPETITION
Students from 6A (2014-2015) decorated food cans for the “Food Angel Paint Can Feed” competition which is raising an awareness of hunger and poverty issues in HK. The students had to paint or decorate a food can using an eco friendly method to help raise canned food for people in need and to showcase the students artistic abilities.
The best design will be voted on by the public and all the cans will be displayed in Hysan Place from the 29th of October to 13th October, 2015. If you would like to participate in the voting, please refer to the following website for more details:
www.foodangel.org.hk/paintedcanfeed
Amanda Bremner – PYP Coordinator
P.S.E. NEWS
This year one of the main areas of focus at Bradbury is to develop a mindset of growth within our community.
What are Mindsets?
A mindset is how a person perceives their ability to learn.
The main exponent and researcher on mindsets, Carol Dweck, has found that person’s beliefs about their intelligence and abilities greatly influences effort, motivation, and performance.
There are two mindsets with a continuum between them. Not everyone is either one or the other and people’s characteristics will vary depending on the type of challenge or task.
People whose perspective is from a fixed mindset see intelligence and talents as naturally determined and unchangeable. Those with a growth mindset see them as modifiable through effort and persistence.
You can take a short survey to find out about your mindset by going to:
http://mindsetonline.com/testyourmindset/step1.php
C. Farrington – P.S.E. Leader
MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PRINCIPAL OF Y1/Y2
It has been wonderful to see all our Year 1 and Year 2 students starting in their new classes this week and I send a special welcome to all our new families. It has been lovely during my morning playground duties to see the excitement that our students bring on their return to school. They have settled quickly into their new classes and routines and our Year 2 students certainly look much ‘older’ now with the arrival of our new Year 1 students at school.
I have enjoyed spending time in the Year 1 classes this week assisting with some of our early assessments and getting to our ‘new’ students. They have been very busy in these first days and I’m sure that many of them have also been very tired by the time they get home to you. You might like to see Sandra Webster’s Principal’s blog which outlines the research about how many hours sleep children this age need to be getting.
Year 1 and 2 Parent/Information Session
I look forward to seeing many of you back at school next week on Thursday 27 August from 5 – 6 p.m. for our parent information session. These sessions will start in your child’s classrooms at 5 p.m. and finish in the school gymnasium with an address by Sandra Webster. The purpose of this session is for you to gain information specific to your child’s class about timetables and routines. It is not a parent/teacher opportunity, however if you do have any individual concerns you are always welcome to contact your child’s teacher to make an appointment to discuss these
School Procedures
With so many new families this is always a good time to inform/remind people about a few ‘housekeeping’ procedures that we have in place to ensure the wellbeing of our students at all times:
School starting times
- Students should not be arriving at school before 8.10 a.m. in the morning. There is no supervision before this time and
it is not safe for students to be left unattended on the school grounds This applies to students of all ages.
- Students can be dropped from 8.10 am. Teachers are on duty from this time.
- At 8.20 am a whistle is sounded for students to line up. Students then move to their classes and lessons start at 8.30 am.
- If you are bringing your child to school earlier than 8.10 am please ensure that an adult remains with them for supervision until the teacher arrives on duty. Please do not drop them early and leave.
School finishing times
- School finishes at 2.40 pm.
- Students who are not travelling home on buses are labelled as ‘walkers’.
- For Years 1 & 2 all walkers must be picked up by a designated adult in the undercover playground the teachers will bring the students to this playground and hand them over to the appropriate adult.
- Students must be collected on time.There is no teacher supervision beyond 3 p.m.as teachers are at meetings and planning sessions after this time.
- Students left unattended after 3 p.m. will be taken to the front office and you will be contacted by phone.
- If you are going to be late to collect your child, please phone the front office and inform Ms Fritzi.
After School activities
- Students attending any after school activities still need to be collected at 2.40 pm and must have a designated adult at school supervising them until the activity starts and picking them up at the end of the activity
- Student must not be left at school unattended until the activity starts. This is to ensure the safety of all students, as there are many other members of the public on school grounds at these times and from time to time tutors may themselves be late, leaving unattended students on their own.
- There are areas around the school for students and parents/carers to wait outside activities.
- All climbing equipment is out of bounds for all students after 3 pm as there is no official supervision.
Photos and Videos
- All parents are reminded that you are not permitted to photograph or video other students or teachers when on school grounds without permission as this is a breach of privacy and confidentiality.
- Photographs and videos are permitted at designated times, such as school assemblies and sporting events, but only with your child as the main subject, or only from a distance where other children cannot easily be identified. If you are unsure about when photos are permitted, please just check with the teacher.
Visiting School
- For safety and legal reasons please ensure that whenever you are visiting school that you first report to Ms Fritzi at the front desk to sign in and get a ‘visitors’ badge. Don’t forget to sign out when you leave.
Class Parents
If you would like to take on the role of ‘class parent’ for your child’s class this year please put in an expression of interest to Ms Fritzi with your child’s name, class and phone number. You can do this ringing the front office on 25748249 or emailing her on fritzi.yu@bradbury.edu.hk by Friday next week. I will contact people the following week and arrange a meeting at school to briefly outline the role and answer any questions. The main role is supporting your child’s class as a link between our PTA and the families in your child’s class and touching base with new families. Most of this role can be done from home and by email and should not be an overly large time commitment.
Nut Allergy
Several of our students are severely allergic to tree nuts and legumes and as such, we need to ensure that our students do not come into contact with these food types.
The types of legumes that are as follows: alfalfa, lentils, soybeans, peanuts and tamarind.
The types of nut include: hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans and almonds.
The students affected have been identified and the teachers have been trained in dealing with severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis).
Could you please ensure that your child does not bring nuts of any kind into school or on any school trips. This includes snack, lunch, birthday treats and cake sale foods. Please note that this includes products such as Nutella. This will help us to lower the risk for these students.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Therese Gallen – Vice Principal
THIRD PARTY AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
The following companies are currently hiring our facilities to provide Extra Curricular activities for students. You may browse the school website under “Community” for their programs and enroll your child directly to the company:
ESF Educational Services Ltd. – Language and Sports Programme, contact Candy Leung at 2760 3900 or cleung@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
Banana Art Club – Art Class, contact Megan Lee, 6020 5476 or bananaartclub@gmail.com website: /www.bananaartclub.com/#!lessons-in-esf-/c17vq
Brainchild Ltd. – DIY Robotics and Technology Workshop, contact Ice Chan at 2528 6862 or icechan@brainchildltd.com website: www.brainchildltd.com
Brilliant Learning International Ltd. (Sanskriti) – Sanskriti/Hindi Language Class, contact Geeta Dhar at 3563 4300 or sanskriti@sanskriti.com.hk website: www.sanskriti.com.hk
Canadian Children’s Technology Workshop (Asia) Ltd. (The Genius Workshop) – Engineering and Mechanic Workshop, contact Ivan Chu at 3107 4343 or ivan@ctworkshop.com.hk website www.ctworkshop.com.hk
Elite Bricks Education – Lego Robotics Class, contact Heyton Tze at 9151-2707 or htze@bricks4kidz.com website: www.bricks4kidz.com/hongkong-cwb/
HoYinPingChess / Hong Kong Junior Chess Club – Chess Class / Junior Chess Tournament, contact Yin Ping Ho at 9215 2682 or hoyinpingchess@gmail.com website: www.HoYinPingChess.com / www.hkjuniorchess.org
Primary Matters – Writing Workshop, contact Marion McNally at 9465 4468 or primarymattershk@gmail.com website: www.primarymattershk.com
RugBees Ltd. – Rugby Play Programme, contact Kit Wong at 2117 3055 or kit@rugbees.com website: www.rugbees.com
Stage Right Youth Theatre Ltd. – Drama Programme, contact Jessica McClellan at 9225 8924 or info@stageright.com.hk website: www.stageright.com.hk
Starlit Company Ltd. – Drama Programme, contact Clarissa Evans at 2108 2182 or info@starlit.hk website: www.starlitvoice.com
U & V B-Solution Ltd. (Global Language & Art Association) – Mandarin Language Class, contact Madeleine Lok at 8202 8280 or mhongkong@gmail.com website: N/A
Union of Languages Company – Spanish, French, Creative English Writing Class, contact Isabel Ng at 3426 2303 or info@uol-hk.com website: www.uol-hk.com
World All Styles Martial Arts Association – Martial Arts Class, contact Ka Lok Ho at 9120 4689 or wamakfyip@yahoo.com website: www.wama-karate.com
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 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.
Percy Mak – Finance Manager
E.S.F. ADMISSIONS: YEAR 1 & YEAR 7 2016-17
Attention parents with siblings born in 2011: Central Application for an ESF School placement in Year 1 (2016-17) will be open between 01-30 September 2015 on the ESF website (www.esf.edu.hk).
Attention Year 6 Parents: Submission of Year 7 secondary transfer applications (located on Gateway) for current Year 6 students will be open on Gateway between 07-18 September 2015.
Allocation for secondary school will be determined by student residential zone at the start of Year 6. For further details, please refer to the information available on the ESF website at http://www.esf.edu.hk/node/5470 for key dates and http://www.esf.edu.hk/esf-zones for school zones.
John Ainsworth
