ESF News (November)

New Board members

The election of parent members to the Board has been completed. The deadline for parents to submit their ballot papers was 25 October at 5pm. Ballot boxes were collected from individual schools that evening and delivered to a secured room at ESF Centre. Counting started at 9am on 26 October and finished on the same day. There were 11,242 votes from 3351 parents from 15 ESF schools and two PIS. The election brought six new parent members to the Board:

They join Marc Castagnet (KGV) and Amy Wong (Renaissance) to give us a full complement of parent members on the Board. In the coming months, a number of Board members will visit ESF primary and secondary schools. They will visit classes and talk to staff members and students. 

Visit our website to view our new Board members' profile and their contact information. www.esf.edu.hk/about-esf/governance

Mirrors with Memories - order now!

Mirrors with Memories is a collection of creative writing and artworks from students of ESF secondary schools. This 100-page book with close to 40 pieces of creative writing and artwork allows readers to gain an insight of ESF values and the ways in which our students give expression to them.

To celebrate the creativity and achievements of the students, a book launch ceremony was held at 6pm at ESF Centre on 31 October. Students who have contributed articles and artworks attended with their teachers. Mirrors with Memories is available in selected bookstores now. The retail price is $180. All proceeds (after deduction of production cost) will go to Bring Me A Book, a charity that promotes family literacy by providing easy access to the best children’s books.

Click here to download the order form. 

West Island Celebrates 20 years of Excellence in Education

This year West Island School reaches the age of 20. The school has several celebratory moments planned the first of which is a Grand Gala Concert at the HK Academy of Performing Arts. Ms Polly Graham, the founding principal of West Island School, will join the audience. 

The celebration will feature the WIS Choir, Sinfonia, Cantare, Sinfonietta, Dynasty Drummers, Jazz Band and Bauhinia Ensemble.

Date: 1 December 2011 (Thursday)
Time: 7.30pm 
Venue: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Amphitheatre, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts 
Tickets: $150 and $75 (for full time students with valid ID) 

Please click here to buy tickets. 

World renowned conservationist gives lecture at Island School

Dr Willie Smits, a well-known conservationist will be delivering a lecture at Island School on Monday 28 November. Dr Smits will share his inspirational, ground breaking work on sustainable biofuels, animal rescue and reforestation with the audience.

Dr Smits is one of the world’s most prominent protectors of orang-utans and their natural environment. In his forestry work, he has seen illegal logging and palm oil plantations destroy rainforests ecosystems. This eco-destruction motivated Dr. Smits to fight for the rainforest and to work on sustainable solutions that expand the forest and benefit the natural world. This includes ground breaking work on sustainable biofuels, animal rescue and reforestation.

Date:  28 November 2011 Monday 
Time: 6.30 - 8.00pm
Venue: Island School
 

Please reserve your seat by emailing Ms Kelly Lau (kelly.lau@mail.island.edu.hk)

Building work at schools

Sha Tin Junior School and Sha Tin College

Work on the Sha Tin College and Sha Tin Junior School projects is well underway. These projects include new vertical extensions and significant other fit-out and replacement works. The weather has been very kind to us this year, with very little rain over the summer, allowing good progress to be maintained.
Both schools have been extremely understanding and resilient during the construction phase, with the contractor accommodating all 'stop work' requests in order that the students and staff are not affected by the work.

King George V School

Work at KGV continues apace, with the first concrete pours due to be completed in late November/ December 2011. This marks the point at which we start to come out of the ground and construct the superstructure of the two new buildings.

As at SC and SJS, the community at KGV has been very resilient to the disruption created by the project on campus and the level of cooperation between the school and the contractor is testament to that.

Kowloon Junior School
Work at Perth Street also continues, with the foundation piling works underway as well as tree transplanting and other site formation works.

Island School
At the last ESF Board meeting, the Facilities Team secured support for undertaking a technical viability study for the Island School project. This essential study will provide responses to several technical, operational and design questions related to how the project could be realised.

The procurement process for consultant support is underway, with appointment targeted for late November 2011.

Admissions update

Schools will shortly be sending out invitations for Year 1 interviews, which will be held next term during January and early February. There will inevitably be disappointment for families whose children are not offered a first round interview. As last year, it is possible that further interviews may be offered later in the process, but opportunities for this to happen are likely to be limited. Interview slots may become available at the point at which offers for places are made in February, given the number of dual applicants, that is children who have applied to an ESF primary school and either Discovery College or Renaissance College, or both.

 PTA administrators meeting

The second meeting of PTA Administrators took place on 7 November at ESF Centre. Karen Lam, Project Manager with the Finance Department, updated the group on the Sale of Accessories and the Provision of Services. From the IT Department, Dave Chan, Senior Application Manager, and Andy Statham, Gateway Project Manager, provided a Q & A opportunity. The group also shared in some detailed information about the activities and events organised at each school. The next meeting is scheduled for 30 January, 2012.

ESF Educational Services update

ESL Sports – Winter Camp
ESL’s ever-popular sports camps are on offer again over the Christmas holidays.  There is a choice of multi-sports camps or of clinics that focus on a specific sport. If you are looking for some active fun for your children over the holidays, take a look at the camp and sports clinic schedules on the ESL website

ESL Language – English Language Classes
If you would like to give your child a language boost this winter, ESF Winter Camps offer a diverse range of courses that will ensure the language needs of your child are met. We are offering general language support programmes as well as classes which focus on developing a particular skill such as writing, phonics and preparation courses for Cambridge English examinations.

For more information or to enrol your child, please click on the following link to the ESL Website.

IB Finals Revision Courses – Spring 2012
ESL is pleased to offer a programme of IB Finals Revision courses during the Easter holidays 2012.  The two-day intensive revision courses are offered in some of the most popular IB subjects.  To find out more, follow the link to ESL’s IB Revision pages.

Our new brochures

Please click on the thumbnails to download the ESF Chinese Curriculum Brochure (top left), the Secondary Curriculum Brochure (top right) and the ESF and School Profiles flyer (English - bottom left, Chinese - bottom right).