Kellett School Dragon Newsletter

Kellett Dragon Kellett Dragon Kellett Dragon Kellett Dragon

January 2010

A love of learning and confidence for lifeA love of learning and confidence for lifeA love of learning and confidence for lifeA love of learning and confidence for life

A very happy and prosperous New Year! We are, as usual, looking forward to a very busy Spring Term for students and staff alike. The secondary campus continues to thrive. Currently 62 primary six students are registered for August 2010 of whom 16 are external students. Mr Giddings and his team are busy showing prospective parents around the SKW campus daily and there is a strong likelihood that this August Year 7 will commence at full capacity of 69 students. Numbers in the primary school remain steady and despite the economic down turn we retain strong waiting lists. The spring term is our traditional teaching staff recruitment period;

this year it is particularly busy as we are filling a series of new posts to support the expansion of the secondary campus. Although early days, we are pleased to have generated such strong interest within Hong Kong and the region, a response reflecting the growing reputation of the secondary section within the teaching community. Recruitment will follow the traditional pattern of both advertising and interviewing in Hong Kong and the UK. This is a proven strategy ensuring that the school retains a balance within the staff of good overseas and recent UK teaching experience. In the primary section we have two vacancies. One class teacher and Special Education needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) - Mrs Anne Paterson. Fortunately, we are not losing Mrs Paterson’s expertise altogether, she is to move to the role of Admissions Tutor to assist with the academic aspects of student entry and transfer. The rapid expansion of the secondary campus necessitates the need for additional admissions staff; Mrs Paterson’s experience and knowledge is an invaluable addition to the team. Mrs Paterson will be working three days per week during term time. We aim to complete teaching staff recruitment by the end of May when I will advise you of our August 2010 staffing. I am delighted to welcome Ms Ella Hobman; Ella joins us as Communications Officer, replacing Mrs Suzannah Denness who worked with the wider brief of Development Director. Ella has previously worked in a similar capacity in the advertising, marketing and business sectors. Ella’s appointment is a reflection on the growth of the school and our desire to maintain good communication throughout our school community and across campuses. I am also delighted to welcome Florence Ip, as ESA for the Music Department. Florence replaces Elizabeth Lowe who we bid farewell to at the end of last term. Elizabeth is remaining in Hong Kong to pursue other activities and we wish her well. Chris Jackson joins us in the Primary Library for two days per week until the appointment of a full time Librarian. Kowloon BayKowloon BayKowloon BayKowloon Bay We also welcome Mr Eric Krantz as Project Director for the Kowloon Bay development.

A message from our PrincipalA message from our PrincipalA message from our PrincipalA message from our Principal

PrincipalPrincipalPrincipalPrincipal

Primary Primary Primary Primary ---- Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Deputy Principal

Secondary Secondary Secondary Secondary ---- Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Deputy Principal

F1 in SchoolsF1 in SchoolsF1 in SchoolsF1 in Schools

NurseNurseNurseNurse

MovemberMovemberMovemberMovember

Primary P.E.Primary P.E.Primary P.E.Primary P.E.

LibraryLibraryLibraryLibrary

Kellett CaresKellett CaresKellett CaresKellett Cares

ICTICTICTICT

MusicMusicMusicMusic

ArtArtArtArt

Chinese StudiesChinese StudiesChinese StudiesChinese Studies

Secondary P.E.Secondary P.E.Secondary P.E.Secondary P.E.

Global CitizenshipGlobal CitizenshipGlobal CitizenshipGlobal Citizenship

GeographyGeographyGeographyGeography

HistoryHistoryHistoryHistory

Monthly MemoriesMonthly MemoriesMonthly MemoriesMonthly Memories

Ann Mc DonaldAnn Mc DonaldAnn Mc DonaldAnn Mc Donald

Eric is a parent and former Governor. Eric was actively involved in the Pokfulam extension project and oversaw the refurbishment of the Shau Kei Wan campus in a voluntary capacity. Eric previously worked as Project Director with Hong Kong Land and brings to his role a unique knowledge of both the school and the commercial sector. Eric is based in our new Project Office on the ninth floor at Pokfulam. I am saddened to advise you that Janice Kwan, our Finance Officer was very poorly at the end of last term. I suspect Janice is probably unfamiliar to many; she was formally an ESA and is an integral member of the administration team; amongst her many responsibilities is managing school fee collection. Following surgery Janice is now receiving ongoing treatment and at this stage we are unsure when she will return to Kellett. I am sure that you will join with me in wishing Janice a swift and complete recovery. Congratulations to Anna and Howard Davis on the safe arrival of Alana Grace on 13 January. Alana entered the world following a helicopter ride to Queen Mary Hospital. Kellett School Kellett School Kellett School Kellett School –––– Chinese Name Chinese Name Chinese Name Chinese Name You may have noticed that over the holiday the primary school has been fitted with very smart signage. Those who are particularly observant may also notice that the Chinese translation of our name has changed. The previous characters whilst phonetically sounding kei lik (Kellett) translated to ‘strange power’ raising comment in our local community. The new translation is similar to the previous, but may be translated as ‘starting a journey.’ Needless to say it was agreed that this is a preferable translation for a school, especially one embarking on development to full secondary. Provisional Student Calendar Dates 2010 Provisional Student Calendar Dates 2010 Provisional Student Calendar Dates 2010 Provisional Student Calendar Dates 2010 –––– 2012: 2012: 2012: 2012: As previously advised, to assist planning I am pleased to publish a provisional calendar for the next three years. The dates do not include public holidays and occasional days; these will be advised as they are gazetted. Kellett School aims to offer 185 student contact days annually; in light of this it may be necessary to adjust mid-term and CNY breaks. I do not envisage changes to term commencement or closure dates unless they were to fall on a public holiday. These dates are These dates are These dates are These dates are provisional provisional provisional provisional and subject to approval by the Education Bureau and the gazetting of and subject to approval by the Education Bureau and the gazetting of and subject to approval by the Education Bureau and the gazetting of and subject to approval by the Education Bureau and the gazetting of public holidays by the Hong Kong Government.public holidays by the Hong Kong Government.public holidays by the Hong Kong Government.public holidays by the Hong Kong Government.

The publishing of the calendar is to assist families in planning and maximising student attendance. School InspectionSchool InspectionSchool InspectionSchool Inspection In line with our on-going quality assurance programme, we will be receiving a commissioned Ofsted inspection in the Primary School in April this year. The inspection will be led by a Registered Ofsted and Independent Schools Inspector. The team have worked widely in the UK state sector, the UK independent sector and internationally. They bring to the inspection a wealth of experience. The Secondary School, given its very early stage of development, will be receiving an advisory inspection from an experienced secondary Ofsted team member.


YearYearYearYear Term 1Term 1Term 1Term 1 Mid Term Mid Term Mid Term Mid Term

BreakBreakBreakBreak Term 2Term 2Term 2Term 2 CNYCNYCNYCNY Term 3Term 3Term 3Term 3

2009/102009/102009/102009/10 31 August – 18 December

19 – 26 October

4 January – 31 March

15 – 19 February 12 April – 30 June

2010/112010/112010/112010/11 23 August – 17 December

18 – 22 October

3 January – 8 April

31 January – 4 February

26 April – 30 June

2011/122011/122011/122011/12 29 August – 16 December

17 – 21 October

3 January – 30 March

23 – 27 January 16 April – 29 June

The publishing of the calendar is to assist families in planning and maximising student


Primary

A love of learning and confidence for life

Deputy PrincipalDeputy PrincipalDeputy PrincipalDeputy Principal

Ciaran HarringtonCiaran HarringtonCiaran HarringtonCiaran Harrington

February EventsFebruary EventsFebruary EventsFebruary Events

5th5th5th5th P2P2P2P2----9 Assembly9 Assembly9 Assembly9 Assembly

10th10th10th10th Instrumental EveningInstrumental EveningInstrumental EveningInstrumental Evening


15th 15th 15th 15th ---- 19th 19th 19th 19th Chinese New Year HolidayChinese New Year HolidayChinese New Year HolidayChinese New Year Holiday

23rd23rd23rd23rd Parent/Teacher Consultations Parent/Teacher Consultations Parent/Teacher Consultations Parent/Teacher Consultations

25th25th25th25th Parent/Teacher Consultations Parent/Teacher Consultations Parent/Teacher Consultations Parent/Teacher Consultations


Parent/TeacherParent/TeacherParent/TeacherParent/Teacher Consultations 2010Consultations 2010Consultations 2010Consultations 2010

23rd February 2010 (Tue)23rd February 2010 (Tue)23rd February 2010 (Tue)23rd February 2010 (Tue)

25th February 2010 (Thur)25th February 2010 (Thur)25th February 2010 (Thur)25th February 2010 (Thur)

Welcome back and Happy New Year. Many thanks for all your Christmas and New Year wishes and gifts. We are all looking forward to an eventful and successful 2010! January got off to a busy start with the annual visit of the LEAP van. The Life Education and Activity Programme is an important part of our Personal, Social and Health Education curriculum. It is a sequential programme that helps children to learn about their bodies and ultimately about the harmful effects of drugs and other substances. The programme is based in the LEAP mobile classroom and is interactive and fun. The children are introduced to Harold the Giraffe and Holly the Horse who guide the children to be able to make sensible choices related to their health. Further information can be found on the LEAP website: www.leap.com.hk Assemblies this month have also focussed on our personal and health education programme. We began the year with a “Going for Goals” assembly which was linked to New Year’s resolutions and had the message that we must try hard to achieve our aspirations, even when the going gets tough. The children have also had an assembly on living healthy lives as a follow up to the LEAP van. Mr Wu will be leading our Chinese New Year assembly this year with a list of do’s and don’ts from Chinese superstition. In addition we would like this month’s talk topic to be Chinese New Year. This year is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Please talk to your children about the traditions and myths surrounding the festival. You will have already made appointments to meet your children's class teachers on Tuesday 23rd February or Thursday 25th February. At this meeting you will also receive your child's Mid Year Report with information for Reading, Writing and Numeracy. Parents of children in Reception class will receive information on the six areas of learning. Please note that there will be some disruption to a number of after school activities during this week. Please also make a careful note of your appointment date and time as the school office is closed during the Chinese New Year break.

P R O V I D I N G C H A L L E N G E , O F F E R I N G O P P O R T U N I T Y A N D G I V I N G R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

Secondary

PROVIDING CHALLENGE, OFFERING OPPORTUNITY AND GIVING RESPONSIBILITY

Deputy PrincipalDeputy PrincipalDeputy PrincipalDeputy Principal

Simon GiddingsSimon GiddingsSimon GiddingsSimon Giddings

February EventsFebruary EventsFebruary EventsFebruary Events

4th4th4th4th Sports DaySports DaySports DaySports Day

7th & 8th7th & 8th7th & 8th7th & 8th Y7 & Y8 Student Led ConferenceY7 & Y8 Student Led ConferenceY7 & Y8 Student Led ConferenceY7 & Y8 Student Led Conference

The first term at our new campus has drawn to a close. It has been a momentous term, filled with challenge and reward for all those who study and work at the SKW campus. As I look back over the last few months, I am delighted at the progress our students have made. On the last Tuesday night of term the Year 7 and Year 8 Christmas Social danced its way to being a huge success. I was proud to see responsible students, having fun and supporting each other during the ‘Kellett has Talent’ competition. Well done to all the parents and the Student Council who helped make the event such a memorable occasion. Maybe a new Kellett tradition has been established! The first term was busy for the whole Secondary Section Community. A swimming gala; an F1 in Schools event; numerous Open Day events; the Christmas Social; attending FOBISSEA Music in Manila; getting ready for FOBBISEA U13 Games in Vietnam; basketball matches; the Year 8 curriculum visit to Northern Thailand; Year 8 fund raising on both the SKW and PFL campuses for Northern Thailand hill tribes’ community projects; the Student – Parent – Tutor meeting; Carols by Candlelight; African Drum Jamming; Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph; day visits all over Hong Kong and numerous extra curricular activities. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making the first term so memorable. This coming term will see the Secondary Section Community just as busy with key events such as the Student Led Conference, Sports Day and the FOBISSEA U13 Games requiring participation from students, parents and teachers alike. A strength of the growing Secondary Section is the open communication between students, teachers and parents. I encourage open and timely communication and all views and opinions are listened to. I have just met with the Y8 parents and we were looking at the curriculum model for Y10 and Y11. A lot of thought and consideration is going into the plans for how the Section develops as we expand into Y9 next year and Y10 and Y11 in 2011 and 2012. Your thoughts, ideas and opinions are most welcome.

Team ‘Typhoon’ topped the podium in the December 2009 F1 in Schools event at the Shau Kei Wan Campus beating team Hawks. Team ‘Typhoon’ - Islay Dickie, Alisdair Irvine, Henry Salmon and William Robinson, are preparing for the World Championships of the F1 in Schools competition in Singapore in September, where they will be fighting over full scholarships to study automotive and motor sports engineering at City University London. Their balsa wood models will be racing down a 20-metre track at the same time as the full-size machines are battling it out in the Singtel Formula One Singapore Grand Prix. Their 55-gram jet-propelled vehicle, powered by a tiny canister of CO2, was designed by the team’s Design Engineers Alisdair Irvine and Henry Salmon. The team will need to raise HK$150,000 in sponsorship to fund the project, including the costs for their trip. The Year 7 Champion 2009 award went to team ‘Ultimate’ – Francesca Doughty, India Davies and Isobel Dolan who produced an excellent car and pit display. The fastest car belonged to Lauren Land of team ‘Fly Racing’ which clocked an amazing 1.25 seconds. Winning Team ‘Ultimate’

Start Line

Winning Year 8 Team Typhoon


F1 in Schools F1 in Schools F1 in Schools F1 in Schools ---- William Hughes William Hughes William Hughes William Hughes----CaleyCaleyCaleyCaley

Recently some cases of viral gastroenteritis have been circulating. Please encourage hand washing and good hygiene practices. If your child is suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting or nausea please refrain from sending them to school until their symptoms have completely subsided. If there is any new medical information regarding your child please inform me so I can update the medical records. The health department have asked for daily temperature checks to continue, please ensure this is recorded each morning in your child’s diary. Thank you, to the parents who helped out for the dental visit in January. Movember 2009 finished in style with the children and non moustached staff wearing a special pained Mo and a number of volunteers having their real Mo shaved in assembly. A big thanks to - The Team “Huzi Loong”; Justin McLaughlin, Nick Miller, Mark Hulbert, Leigh Kennedy, Matt Lovell, Clive Dawes, Lorne Ali, Simon Giddings, Ciaran Harrington, Will Hughes-Caley, David Wu, Jason Ho, Colin Trantor and Philip Dowding The Mo Sistas: Ailsa White and Class Mums All of you who donated and took part in the fundraiser. To date we have raised:

HK$75,561 A fantastic effort from all, thank you!

Nurse’s Report Nurse’s Report Nurse’s Report Nurse’s Report ---- Justin McLaughlin Justin McLaughlin Justin McLaughlin Justin McLaughlin


MovemberMovemberMovemberMovember

In December, the boys participated in their last football tournament of the season. They played exceptionally well and made it into the semi-finals where they were knocked out by Clearwater Bay after losing 1-0. A huge thank you to Mr Hulbert who took the boys to the Saturday tournaments, and also to Mr Lovell and Nurse Justin who took the weekly training. Also in December, our A & B Netball teams both enjoyed participating in their tournaments. The standard of netball continues to improve at Kellett, thanks to Miss Hall for her help in coaching the team this year. Well done to all the girls who took part in training, friendly matches and competitions. On Saturday 9th January, Kellett hosted the annual Mixed Netball Tournament. This year we were pleased to be able to use the new outdoor courts at Chinese International School as our venue. 10 schools took part and it was a very enjoyable morning. The Kellett team performed well and finished second in their group, behind a very strong DBIS team. Kellett met Glenealy in the semi-finals and were very unlucky to lose 4-3. Thank you to all the Kellett Staff who supported and helped at the event. This term brings new sports on a Wednesday. This year we have enlisted the help of professional coaches from Valley RFC. We have 3 coaches coming to run the rugby programme on a Wednesday afternoon. If your son/daughter is signed up for this activity please can they remember to bring a mouth guard so they can fully participate in the sessions. Girls football will also be going on at the same time, girls are reminded to bring their shin pads and long socks. All children who are participating in after school sports should be wearing their PE kit. For a list of activities on offer and all the dates, please visit the school website. FOBISSEA trials are well underway and we are extremely impressed with the standard that we are seeing both on the track and in the pool. FOBISSEA squads will be announced on Friday 29th January, all children who participated in the trials will receive a letter. As I mentioned the swimming at Kellett continues to go from strength to strength, the Thursday morning swim club this term is oversubscribed and I know a huge number of children are training and competing with a variety of companies in their own time. The Primary 5 children will be competing in their inter-school gala on Thursday 11th February at West Island School, we are looking forward to maximum participation for that! Primary 4 will be competing in their swimming gala in term 3. What’s happening this term?What’s happening this term?What’s happening this term?What’s happening this term? 13th – 27th January FOBISSEA Trials 29th January FOBISSEA Letters distributed 11th February P5 Swimming Gala 13th March CIS Interschool Road Race (trial information distributed soon) 19th March Mixed Tag Rugby Tournament March DBIS Interschool contact Rugby tournament (Date TBA)

Primary PE Report Primary PE Report Primary PE Report Primary PE Report ---- Fiona Pratt Fiona Pratt Fiona Pratt Fiona Pratt


New library team memberNew library team memberNew library team memberNew library team member We are pleased to welcome Chris Jackson to the library team. Emma Santler will continue to be in the Primary Library on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while Chris will be there on Thursday and Friday. I will be located in the Secondary School library for the majority of the week, and over at the Primary Library on a Tuesday for Battle of the Books. Please feel free to contact any of us with any questions. My contact details are: Primary School: 2551 8234 Secondary School: 3665 5326 Or please email me at [email protected] VisitsVisitsVisitsVisits P1 and P2 attended the performance of Room on a Broom on 21st January at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts. To ensure the children got the most enjoyment out of the trip we have read the book to them in their library sessions although I am sure many of them already know the story from home. Quick Reads in the Primary LibraryQuick Reads in the Primary LibraryQuick Reads in the Primary LibraryQuick Reads in the Primary Library We are adding to our collection of ‘quick’ reads in the Primary library. These books are aimed at P4 to P6 students. They include distilled classics such as “Wuthering Heights”, the Tremor series of spooky fiction stories, and the Wild Reads series of non fiction. Book suggestionsBook suggestionsBook suggestionsBook suggestions If your child needs ideas on what to read next please take a look at the Kellett Library website for suggestions of good websites. They include Reading Matters (www.readingmatters.co.uk/bookchooser.php) - put in your preferences and up pops some recommendations. Christmas was a busy time for Kellett Cares. The reception children created tea towels with their self-portraits on while P6 designed wrapping paper and helped make the reindeer candy canes that have been sold in school and at the Christmas shows. We have also been selling Christmas cards made by previous P5 children. Thank you to all those who have supported Kellett Cares by buying these items. The wrapping paper will continue to be available as it is a colourful design also suitable for birthdays and other celebrations. The Marketplace shop stickers for knives offer comes to an end soon; if you have any spare stickers please send them into school marked for the attention of Kellett Cares – we will redeem them for knives and give these to Crossroads to pass on to those in need.


Library Report Library Report Library Report Library Report ---- Lisa Share Lisa Share Lisa Share Lisa Share

Kellett CaresKellett CaresKellett CaresKellett Cares

A hectic end to last year and a disjointed beginning to this one since our last update, mainly due to my recent visit to the BETT Show in London. More on my discoveries there in coming issues! A major trend in 21st Century education is the move to mobile learning. This trend has been recognised by the influential Horizon Report for a number of years now. We have made progress in this area recently with the purchase of 16 HP Netbooks to allow students to become more portable with their learning. In reality though, these machines tend to be used in the same way as larger laptops. However, our recent purchase of 6 iTouch devices has already greatly influenced practice in a number of areas. Miss Hall’s class have been keen users, investigating apps to help with their mastery of phonics as well as enhancing their dinosaur project, whilst secondary students have used them to help with Chinese writing. Year 6 students have also begun to look at some of the many Mathematics apps which are available. Demand for the iTouch has been much greater than I envisaged and it may be that we will need to provide a larger number in the near future (some schools are now providing all students with their own iTouch). I’m particularly grateful to Mrs Bull for managing access to the devices and for her work in ensuring that relevant applications are updated and available for staff. The use of iTouches is part of our drive to ensure that ICT at Kellett is both innovative and creative and continues to take note of international good practice. For those families that have an iTouch at home, there can be issues to do with safe internet access which may need addressing. I have written a brief article on parental restrictions and internet filtering on the iTouch which can be found on our ICT blog at www.kellettschool.blogspot.com. A number of parents have already commented to me with regard to this and I urge you to take a look!


ICT Report ICT Report ICT Report ICT Report ---- Clive Dawes Clive Dawes Clive Dawes Clive Dawes


Annual ConcertAnnual ConcertAnnual ConcertAnnual Concert The date for our Annual Concert is 21st June. The concert will be held at the Leo Lee Arts Centre (Canadian International School). Parent/Staff ChoirParent/Staff ChoirParent/Staff ChoirParent/Staff Choir We will once again be featuring this popular ensemble at our Annual Concert. Please e-mail [email protected] to register your interest. No auditions or music reading ability required! Just enthusiasm! Instrumental Recital Evening Instrumental Recital Evening Instrumental Recital Evening Instrumental Recital Evening –––– Wednesday 10th February Wednesday 10th February Wednesday 10th February Wednesday 10th February Our annual showcase of those students who are learning an instrument. The concert is open for all students – whether they learn an instrument at school or not. Please contact [email protected] to register your child’s interest in performing. If there are too many students who wish to perform – we will make alternative performance opportunities available for some of the students. Instrumental Lessons Instrumental Lessons Instrumental Lessons Instrumental Lessons We still have availability in a wide range of instrumental lessons and we do have some instruments available for hire. If your child is interested in learning an instrument, please contact the music department for more information. Often, we are able to give some pointers and tips and we can let the children hold the instruments and have a go at making a sound. Recently, I have had some questions about Instrumental Lessons at the school. Please read the following guidelines by which the Instrumental Teaching programme operates at Kellett School:

• Instrumental Lessons are a private arrangement between the Parent, Tutor and Child which is facilitated by the Music Department

• Lesson fees are payable a term in advance and lesson fees are paid directly to the Tutor

• Fees are non-refundable

• A full term’s notice should be given if children are discontinuing lessons – failure to do so will incur fees in lieu

• Once lessons commence they are scheduled for every week of the school year (unless otherwise notified by tutor)

• Lessons are automatically cancelled during Red/Black rain warnings or the hoisting of the No.8 Typhoon signal or when Kellett School is closed due to inclement weather. Tutors will do their best to make-up these lessons at a mutually agreeable time

• In the event of sickness it is the responsibility of the parent to contact the tutor directly to inform them that their child will not be attending their lesson

Music Report Music Report Music Report Music Report ---- Lucas Cox Lucas Cox Lucas Cox Lucas Cox

Digital Self Portrait ProjectDigital Self Portrait ProjectDigital Self Portrait ProjectDigital Self Portrait Project This week it has been a real pleasure showing all classes the video compilations of their digital self portraits made in November. It has created much excitement and appreciation of each others work. Mr. Dawes has added the animoto videos of the children's work to the ICT blog so they can be viewed and shared at home. The work was created using graphic software, Gimp. This is a free download software and many families now have it at home. Go to http://www.gimp.org/ to find instructions. The children's digital self portraits were created by layering two or more photos/scanned drawings, one portrait of each child and one or more background scenes chosen by each child. In ICT lessons the portrait photos/drawings were cut around leaving a transparent background. On the day, the children created their art work by making an A4 template and collaging their photos and scanned drawings within the template. Once they were happy with the composition, they manipulated it using the many tools available. Enjoy viewing the creativity of the children! Chinese New Year is just round the corner. Students are busy learning about Chinese culture through arts, crafts, songs, stories and research. Some of their art work will be displayed on the first floor landing near the Reception classes, outside the Chinese classroom and language lab. This year is the year of the Tiger. The Tiger brings courage and a year of hard work. Before Chinese New Year, in the weeks commencing 1st and 8th February, we will be assessing our students on their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills for the topics learned so far.

Students are expected to revise their listening, speaking, reading and writing outcomes from each topic booklet which was sent home for filing after completion. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous Chinese New Year.

Year group Topics covered to date

P1 Greetings 1, Numbers 1, About me 1, Family 1

P2 Greetings 1-2, Numbers 1-2, About me 1-2, Family 1-2

P3 Greetings 1-3, Numbers 1-3, About me 1-3, Family 1-3, Radical 1, Stroke Order 1

P4, P5, P6 About Me 1-3, Time, Date and Days of the Week, Daily Routine, Radical 1-2, Stroke Order 1-2


whether they learn an instrument at school or not. Please contact

Art Report Art Report Art Report Art Report ---- Kathy Ponter Kathy Ponter Kathy Ponter Kathy Ponter

Chinese Studies Report Chinese Studies Report Chinese Studies Report Chinese Studies Report ---- David Wu David Wu David Wu David Wu

The students have been keen to put their basketball skills to practice following a unit taught in lessons and a successful ECA that has been running since September. The classes played some inter-form matches at the end of last term. Everyone took part and showed off their developing skills. We have been invited to attend a number of tournaments at the U12 and U14 level. The U12 girls went to the Canadian International School to play there and were the winners beating all the other teams convincingly. Last week the U12’s boys and girls teams went to HKIS to their invitational tournament. The boys after a rather shaky start really got their game together and played well as a team, coming close to winning two of their games. Many of the other teams had more match experience than Kellett but this opportunity to play made them keener than ever for the next one! In the girls tournament Kellett were very much the strongest and tallest team at the tournament using their netball shooting skills to their best advantage in the game. They won all their games and went onto beat HKIS convincingly in

the final. This Saturday sees the Year 7 and Year 8’s travelling to the International Christian School to play in an U14 tournament which will be a training tournament for the upcoming FOBISSEA games. We expect the competition to be tough as they will be playing in an age group above their age but the experience is invaluable. In the curriculum time this half term we are concentrating on hockey and volleyball. We have been lucky enough to secure the hockey pitch at Happy Valley and it is great to see all the students enjoying the sunny mornings and developing their skills at

such a great venue. The volleyball takes place at school in the auditorium and for many stu-dents this is a new activity so they are just learning the basics. We will be completing this unit with some inter-form volleyball closer to the end of term.

Secondary PE Report Secondary PE Report Secondary PE Report Secondary PE Report ---- Julie Doughty Julie Doughty Julie Doughty Julie Doughty


Year 8 have been studying how to stem the rapid growth of global warming in their Global Citizenship unit, Environment. We were pleased to welcome Dr John Chan from the Hong Kong Observatory to our campus on Thursday 19 November. He delivered an interesting and informative lecture on the projected impact of global warming on our world and what human beings should be doing to prevent the terrible consequences forecast. Dr Chan encouraged the students to ask lots of questions and they really appreciated the opportunity to hear from an expert on the subject… so did the teachers! The students have created posters of practical environmental tips and displayed them in classrooms in the secondary campus. These include:

• Turn off the lights when you leave the room • Ask yourself if you need the lights on in the first place (research suggests natural light aids

learning) • Turn off the air conditioning/heating when you leave the room • Ask yourself if you need the air conditioning/heating on in the first place • Never have the windows open and the air conditioning on at the same time • Use public transport instead of private transport as much as possible • Get on your bike/walk as much as possible • Avoid buying products with excess packaging • Say no to useless free gifts • Be aware of food miles and avoid them when you can • Recycle • Take a shopping bag everywhere with you- say no to plastic bags that clog up our oceans Recommended reading: Going Green in Hong Kong: Save the planet, your health and money by Catherine Touzard.


Global Citizenship Report Global Citizenship Report Global Citizenship Report Global Citizenship Report ---- Elizabeth Everett Elizabeth Everett Elizabeth Everett Elizabeth Everett

Year 7 GeographyYear 7 GeographyYear 7 GeographyYear 7 Geography Year 7 are studying Settlement in Geography. As part of this unit, they have been examining patterns of land use and goods and services provision between settlements. In December, they went on a field trip to compare the difference in goods and services provision between the CBD (Queen’s Road Central) and Shau Kei Wan. Both the CBD and Shau Kei Wan had convenience and comparison goods shops. Convenience goods are items that one might buy daily, or almost daily, such as bread, milk, or a newspaper. Comparison goods are more expensive items where one might wish to compare the price before purchase – such as a refrigerator. The CBD had a much larger proportion of comparison goods shops than Shau Kei Wan. This was expected because the CBD is somewhere to which shoppers often head deliberately to buy such items, whereas convenience goods are usually sought after closer to home, in residential areas. They found that the CBD had a smaller range of services than Shau Kei Wan and concluded that this is because it is primarily a business, rather than residential area. There were more schools and launderettes for example, in Shau Kei Wan. However, in terms of transport, Shau Kei Wan and Queen’s Road Central seemed to have equally good provision.


Geography Report Geography Report Geography Report Geography Report ---- Elizabeth EverettElizabeth EverettElizabeth EverettElizabeth Everett

Both the CBD and Shau Kei Wan had convenience and comparison goods shops.


Wetland ParkWetland ParkWetland ParkWetland Park On Thursday 7th January, Year 7 enjoyed a Geography curriculum visit to the Hong Kong Wetland Park to examine a case study in sustainability. The students walked around the site looking at the ways in which the Wetland Park aims to be environmentally friendly and have a positive impact on the local community. These are some of the observations that we made:

• Walls made of oyster shells discarded by local fishermen and rushes grown on site • Hides made of wood from a sustainable source • Recycling bins • Lots of natural light used in the Atrium • Green roof over the Atrium to conserve energy and provide habitat for wildlife • Air-conditioning switched off • Hippos in the toilets to conserve water • Discounted entry for local residents in Tin Shui Wai • Educational exhibitions Here are some photographs from the visit for your enjoyment:

Year 8 GeographyYear 8 GeographyYear 8 GeographyYear 8 Geography Since returning from their Geography fieldwork visit to northern Thailand in November last year, Year 8 have been completing their Geography fieldwork write up and delivering a variety of fundraising activities so that Bryan and Rosie Massingham, who run the fieldwork centre, can build a village medical clinic and provide a visiting nurse for a remote hill tribe village.

Year 8 saw the poverty that rural settlements in the area around the Maekok River Village Outdoor Education Centre face first hand during their visit, and felt great satisfaction in being able to help out in small ways while they were there - by teaching English to some Thai students.

Bryan and Rosie have been making a huge difference in this community by co-ordinating groups of visiting students to spend the money they have raised on improving local facilities in schools and the wider community. What is so satisfying about the projects is that Bryan and Rosie facilitate it so that students can see exactly how their money is being spent. There is no “middle man” so none of the money is wasted. Everyone gains – the local community and visiting students, who get experience in voluntary work that is increasingly essential for successful university application.



Since Kellett is a through-train school, many current primary pupils and Year 7 will visit northern Thailand when they are in Year 8. Even farther into the future, many of these pupils will devote their hard labour to the cause! During the visit, we were pleased to see the product of Year 8’s fundraising campaign last academic year, in the form of a new toilet block. The old toilet had served 30 staff and three students! Year 8 is pleased to announce that the $6981.70 profit that they have raised this year will provide a sizeable contribution towards the village medical clinic and visiting nurse that the local community so sorely needs. The money was raised through the sale of Thai goods to pupils and students at both campuses and to parents at the F1 in Schools Race Day at Shau Kei Wan, through the Dress Up and Dance and Beat the Goalie activities for pupils at both campuses, and by donating the Secondary

Section’s Dress Thailand Day money to the cause. In addition, Ms Tang organised a clothing sale among staff, which gave the campaign a great boost. I think you will agree that the amount raised is fantastic for a year group of only 19 students and they are justifiably proud of their achievement. Our heartfelt thanks are extended to all parents, staff and pupils who supported our efforts.

Here are a few photographs of Year 8 fundraising with the rest of the school for your enjoyment! Beat the Goalie and Sponge a Year 8:Beat the Goalie and Sponge a Year 8:Beat the Goalie and Sponge a Year 8:Beat the Goalie and Sponge a Year 8:

Dress up and Dance:Dress up and Dance:Dress up and Dance:Dress up and Dance:

Thai Arts and Crafts Sale:Thai Arts and Crafts Sale:Thai Arts and Crafts Sale:Thai Arts and Crafts Sale:


Year Seven students have been studying the Norman Conquest and examining how William I kept control of England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. One of the ways in which William kept control was to reward his loyal Normans with English land and build motte and bailey castles on it, so his followers could keep the countryside under control.

Here are the models that Year Seven built to show their understanding of motte and bailey castle features. They have also written an authentic and cunning plan of attack for this type of castle in their exercise books. Have a read if you dare!

I am extremely impressed by the quality of these models and congratulate the students (and perhaps the odd parent/helper?) on their efforts. The students have a certificate for this work in their portfolios and have been advised to put a photograph and evaluation of their castle in there too.

History Report History Report History Report History Report ---- Elizabeth EverettElizabeth EverettElizabeth EverettElizabeth Everett


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