Newsletter- 08/03/24
Kowloon Junior School’s latest newsletter is available to read now.
Dates for Your Diary
13-14 March Author Visit- Kev Payne
16 March KJS PTA School Fair
21 March Year 1 and Year 2 Fun Field Day
22 March Last Day of Term (school ends at 12:00)
9 April First Day of Term 3
Team Events
Please see below for the following team events that some of our students will be taking part in this term. As always those involved will be notified nearer the time.
15 March HKPSSA Tag Rugby Festival
16 March HKPSSA Cross Country Festival
20 March HKPSSA Basketball Festival
Principal’s Message
Dear KJS Families,
I had the pleasure of meeting with the PTA team this week, and I am thrilled to inform you that our upcoming PTA School Fair on Saturday, March 16th, is shaping up to be a truly exciting and enjoyable event for all. We can’t wait to see our school community come together for a day of fun and festivities!
In the past few days, KJS had the privilege of hosting 70 staff members from across our Kindergarten, Junior, and Secondary schools for ESF wide professional development sessions. The focus was on the importance of schools being adaptive to the ever-changing needs of our students, and on how we can collaboratively make meaningful changes with the input of our entire school community.
We were pleased to welcome our CEO, Belinda Greer, to our school on Wednesday. She shared her views on the positive direction our school is taking and praised the incredible work happening both inside and outside our classrooms. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the excellent learning environment we have here at KJS.
A friendly reminder to please complete the ESF Parent Stakeholder Survey. Your valuable feedback plays a crucial role in shaping the future of our school community. Your input is highly appreciated, and we thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Have an enjoyable weekend.
Mr Gavin MacGregor
Principal
ESF Neurodiversity Celebration Week
It’s Board game time! Explore the Wonders of Neurodivergent Minds:
Meet the student team Astralis from RCHK who curated a Board Game for their Junior Achievement project, an edutainment product to teach people about Learning Diversity.
- 11 March 2024 (Monday)
- 30-6.00pm
- RCHK
Workshop with Jonathan Mok: Foster Understanding and Acceptance
Invisible disability: Seeing the unseen – What does neurodiversity mean for everyone? What are the roles for neurotypicals? Learn more from Jonathan Mok, a committed advocate for neurodiversity, having been diagnosed with ADHD and ASD at the age of 37.
- 12 March 2024 (Tuesday)
- 30-5.30 (English session) | 5.30-6.30 (Cantonese session)
- ESFC
With warm regards,
ESF Educational Psychology Team
Parents Talk- Zoom
Do you sometimes feel apprehensive about something you have no control over? With children, have you noticed that sometimes your child may express worries over trivial issues and is unable to stop himself/herself from thinking negatively?
There will be times when anxiety can get the best of us. Similar to adults, children will have worries and concerns. Some may experience excessive weariness, they may also have a sense of dread/heaviness that can be overwhelming. When faced with a difficult predicament, the natural inclination is to face the challenge head on or avoid the triggers causing stress. Most psychological research has shown that applying short term coping mechanisms such as avoidance provides immediate relief; however, it has its limitations. Prolong reliance on this type of coping strategy may negatively impact one’s self confidence, self esteem, amplify (perceived and real) fears and stress.
At some point in our lives, we’ve experienced some challenging situations that made us feel uncomfortable. Due to uncertainties, we’re left unsure of ourselves. Naturally, our mind and body respond automatically to protect us from perceived threats and harm. Additionally, how we mobilise both our internal and external resources play an important role on how we cope and resolve problems.
It’s equally important to note that “Normal worries” can actually be beneficial to us. We all have anxiety. Anxiety is part of our emotional state that acts as a barometer on how we govern our daily lives. Children can learn to plan and to prepare to address problems appropriately and build resilience.
The goal of this presentation is to provide parents information on Anxiety. Additionally, it will include an overview of different types of anxiety disorder.
Date: 13 March 2024
Time: 3-4pm
[Web Link]
Meeting ID: 973 2854 9733
Passcode: 060360
Attendees: KJS parents
Facilitator: Ian Ong, Student Counsellor
*Interested parents please register through the gateway. Registration opens now and closes on Monday, 12th March at 4pm (Under “Activity” on Gateway)
A reminder with the Zoom link will be sent and posted in both KJS Newsletter and Splat.
ESF-wide Art Exhibition
ESF is going to hold a student art exhibition in late May to early June. Shortlisted art pieces of each school will be displayed in the art exhibition.
Interested students should submit their art piece to their class teacher on or before 19 April.
Exhibition Details:
ESF Art Exhibition 2024
Art Exhibition Period: 29 May – 2 June 2024 (Grand Opening on 28 May, 6pm – by invitation)
Time: 10am – 7pm (29 May – 1 June), 10am – 4pm (2 June)
Venue: Exhibition Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong
Fee: Free admission, open to public
Artwork Theme: Faster, Higher, Stronger
The Paris Olympics are almost upon us. Every four years, athletes from every country, from all walks of life and of all faiths and none come together to celebrate the remarkable nature of humanity. The Olympic podium is the highest point in sport, but those three medals do not represent the totality of the spirit that guides the Games, nor do they tell the story of the sacrifice, hard work and dedication of every participant.
This year, our ESF art exhibition is all about humans and their extraordinary power to achieve. Every single day, people in our schools, in our homes and in our communities are doing remarkable things and this is what we seek to celebrate in this show.
This need not just be about the people who have achieved something headline grabbing. It can also be about the people who do things to help us, to make our lives better and to support us in what we do. Who are the change makers? Who goes above and beyond for us? Who, in our lives, is dedicated to being faster, higher and stronger in the service of others? These are the people we seek to shine a light on.
Points to note for submission-
1) We accept drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, pixel art, digital art or photography that is relevant to the art exhibition theme.
2) Parent permission and consent should be granted for the child’s art piece image or video and any information about the art piece, including name, school year and school name, to be shown publicly.
3) The art piece must be the student’s original work without infringing any intellectual property rights
4) Each submission confirms that they consent to the use of the personal data for this art exhibition, such use to be in accordance with ESF’s Personal Data Handling Policy and its related Personal Information Collection Statements (“PICS”). A copy of the PICS can be found on the ESF website (www.esf.edu.hk).
5) All images or videos and other information of art pieces collected may be disclosed to third parties, including external service providers or website developers, for this art exhibition.
ESF Centre reserves the right to remove any sensitive content or art pieces that might potentially violate the law. When submitting art pieces, please be considerate of others and be sensitive to the content depicted.
Shortlisted art pieces will be returned to students after the exhibition.
News from the PTA
Hello everyone,
🎉Get Ready for the BIG KJS School Fair! 🎡
📅 Saturday, March 16th | 11am – 4pm
Dear KJS Families,
You’re invited to the BIG KJS School Fair – “KJS Over the Years”! 🎉 Join us for a day filled with fun, laughter, and celebration as we journey through the history and achievements of KJS over its remarkable 120-year existence!
Step Into the Past:
Explore different decades of KJS life with our unique “KJS eras” time machine experience. Immerse yourself in the rich history and culture that has shaped our school community over the years.
What to Expect:
🏫 5 FLOORS OF FUN: Each floor showcases a different era of KJS life, featuring captivating performances, talent shows, community drumming sessions, games galore, and more!
🎭 KJS Stage: Be dazzled by our school performances, talent shows, and the much-anticipated Time Capsule Ceremony!
🐉 Drake the Dragon Mascot Launch: Join us as we unveil our new school mascot, Drake the Dragon, with special games and activities organized by our School Student Council.
🎪 Marketplace: Explore our bustling market hall, where you’ll discover a wide array of vendors offering toys, arts & crafts, delicious treats, and unique treasures to take home!
How to Participate:
Participation is FREE, but please register on Eventbrite to secure your entry. Reserve your spot here!
Support KJS:
Your generosity helps fund education enhancement projects at KJS. All proceeds from activities and purchases at the fair will directly benefit our students.
Games Tokens and Payments:
Games fees range from $10 to $50 per game, activity fees from $30 to $100, and food & drinks starting from $20. Don’t forget your Octopus Wallet for easy payments!
Special Offer:
Pre-purchase your game token booklets now and enjoy a special offer! Buy 3 booklets worth $300 and get 1 FREE booklet for a total value of $400. Order early – booklets will be distributed after March 10th at the PTA office.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you and share the joy of our wonderful KJS community! 🎉
Sincerely,
KJS PTA & the dedicated parent volunteers
Extra Curricular Activities with KJS Registered Tutors
Interested parents, please contact the organiser directly for sign-up.
Clay Club
Backing Class
ESF Explore – Spring Camp 2024
Spring to life and join ESF Explore for a thrilling adventure! From 25th March to 5th April, we offer a variety of courses and workshops for students of all ages. With morning classes and afternoon workshops, we’ll keep your kids engaged and entertained this Spring. Discover our Spring Camp programmes HERE.
Student Success
Thank you for sharing your child’s achievements with us over the past year.
While individual achievements are undoubtedly significant and provide a source of pride for both the student and their family, sharing every student’s accomplishments on our social media channels is no longer feasible. Our intention is to create an inclusive environment where all students, regardless of their individual accomplishments, feel valued and celebrated.
That being said, we encourage you to share your child’s achievements with their teacher and peers, as well as within your personal social media networks. This way, your child’s accomplishments can be recognized and celebrated by those who know them best.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to navigate the post-pandemic educational landscape. Our school community’s strength lies in our collective efforts to celebrate the diverse talents, achievements, and experiences of all our students.
Disclaimer
- Kowloon Junior School, English Schools Foundation and its affiliates shall take no responsibility for any activities, events, and services that are organised by other organisations or individuals and are mentioned in our newsletters.
- Our newsletters may contain direct marketing materials that are related to students’ daily school activities and the KJS community. Parents who choose not to receive such materials should use their own discretion.
- In accordance with our Personal Data Handling Policy, Kowloon Junior School and English Schools Foundation may place your child’s photos, name, school work, activities and accomplishments in our newsletters or other publications (including but not limited to our websites and social media sites). If you would like to opt out, please email the school office at office@kjs.edu.hk.
