Dear Parents of Y6 students of Peak School,
Island School PTA is pleased to invite you for a "3-part Speaker Series" with Dr. Mark Gandolfi. We hope these sessions will offer valuable and enriching parenting tips to support children's well-being and education.
Dr Mark has over 40 years of experience in healthcare in psychology and wellness with expertise in counselling, coaching, training and consulting for children, teens, families, individuals and all types of organisations.
The first session of the 3-part series is Parental Wellbeing: Strategies for Self-Regulations and will take place at Island School on Thursday, Feb 29. You are invited to come at 5:30pm for coffee and snacks. The session will start at 6pm. ISPTA will arrange for buses for parents from Admiralty. This will be a nice chance to mingler with other parents and also meet Dr. Mark in-person. Followed by this in-person session the other two sessions will be on ZOOM for convenience.
The dates for the ZOOM sessions are
Session 2: Thursday, March 21
Session 3: Thursday, April 25
Please fill out this FORM to indicate your attendance for our smooth planning.
Kind Regards,
Fatema Jangbarwala
On behalf of ISPTA
Soft Opening- Wednesday 20th March 9:15am - 10:15am
On Wednesday, 20th March, the Year 6s will be performing and presenting to our Y5 students and Year 6 students from 2 other international schools from 9:15am to 10:15am. Students will arrive and depart like a normal school day.
PYP Exhibition Community Event- Wednesday, 20th March, 6pm - 7:30pm (*Students arrive at 5:30pm)
PYP Exhibition is on Wednesday March 20th, which will begin with a whole year level performance at 6pm in the hall at Peak School. As this is the culmination of the entire process, we ask that each child have at least one family member/caregiver attending this special occasion.
What to expect: After the presentation in the hall the Year 6 students will have their independent stations set up on the first level of the school for you to visit. There are no formal timings to this part of the evening. This means there won't be timed, formal speeches at the stations and you will have the opportunity to visit as many of the exhibitions as you like in your own time. Please do take this opportunity to support all the students and see as many exhibitions as you can. Please encourage the students to share their learning journey by asking questions.
Here are some possible questions you could ask:
Why did you choose this inquiry topic for your Exhibition?
What new knowledge have you discovered about your issue during your inquiry?
Where and how did you find out your information?
What went wrong during the process? How did you overcome this?
Tell me about the action you have taken. How effective has it been? Why?
Timings:
Year 6 students arrive at school at usual time and set up for the soft opening in their regular uniform
9:15am - 10:15am : Year 6 PYP Exhibition soft opening
*Glenealy School students, Canadian International School students & Peak School Year 5 students will be attending this viewing only
3:00 pm - regular dismissal time*
*At this time your child:
- Can go home as usual if there is time
- Could have an organised playdate
- Can be picked them up and enjoy some time together before the students need to be back to set up
Please note it would be beneficial for the students to have a nutritious snack and rest before they come back for the evening showcase
5:30pm - Arrival of students back at school to set up their Exhibition stalls in their school uniform. They will meet in their classrooms at this time.
*students can bring other clothes to wear to enhance their presentations (after the opening in the hall) if they wish
*Parents can enjoy a tea or coffee in the Hall during this time
6pm - Officially opening of Peak School PYP Exhibition in the Hall for parents and wider school community
7:30pm - end of Peak School PYP Exhibition
Chrissy Etchells-Bailey
Vice Principal/PYP Coordinator
Peak School
Hong Kong
Dear Peak School Parents and Caregivers,
This is a friendly reminder to sign up for the Neurodiversity Presentation and Coffee Morning.
We are excited to invite all parents and caregivers to celebrate Neurodiversity with us at our first coffee morning event: Neurodiversity, Celebrating All!
Date: Tuesday, March 19th
Time: 8:45 am
Location: Peak School VLE
We are looking forward to connecting with you all!
Or you can scan the QR code on the flyer.
Craig Hollingsworth
Learning Technologies Coordinator, ELSA Supervisor and LMT Member
Peak School, Hong Kong
Dear Parents,
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your active participation in our recent webinar on "Raising Resilient Hearts: Self-Esteem versus Self-Worth." Your presence and engagement contributed to the success of the session, and we hope you found it informative and valuable.
For those who may have missed the webinar or would like to revisit the content, we are pleased to inform you that the recording of the session is now available. Apologies to those of you who struggled to enter the webinar. You can access the recording by visiting here and find the Presentation slides from yesterday at this link.
In case you missed our previous webinar, we also want to remind you that the first session in our "Raising Resilient Hearts" series focused on understanding and supporting children's anxiety." If you were unable to attend, we highly recommend watching the recording, which can be found at Here (if required the passcode is: Peak_RRH24) and the slides can be found here. This session provides valuable insights into recognising and addressing anxiety in children, equipping you with practical tools to support their emotional well-being.
If you have any questions or need further guidance on the topics covered in the webinars, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We are more than happy to provide additional resources or clarify any doubts you may have.
Please find attached the Age appropriate chores PDF discussed in the webinar. We hope it's useful.
Once again, we express our gratitude for your active involvement and the trust you have placed in us. Together, we can create a supportive community that nurtures resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy children.
Warm regards,
Ashleigh Vilk
School Counsellor
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We hope you receive this message well.
This is a gentle reminder that tomorrow Wednesday, March 13th, all students are invited to participate in a fundraising dress-down day. The event is to support a Year 6 student and their PYP Exhibition topic that centers around Endangered and Extinct Animals.
We kindly request Peak School students to contribute by donating money to support the Elephant Foundation, which in turn assists the Big Life Foundation. The Big Life Foundation organises guided bus trips for local schools into Amboseli National Park in Africa. Through this initiative, we aim to enhance local awareness about wildlife, discourage harmful practices such as killing and poaching, and emphasise the significance of these magnificent animals.
Event Details:
Your generosity and support are greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for contributing to our cause!
Best wishes,
Peak School Office
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an annual worldwide initiative that aims to challenge stereotypes and perceptions of neurodiversity whilst also celebrating the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent.
Neurodiversity Presentation and Coffee Morning
To commemorate this important week, we would like to invite all parents and caregivers to our first Neurodiversity coffee morning: Neurodiversity, Celebrating All!
Please check the flyer attached to find out more about this event and to register. We are looking forward to connecting with you all!
Neurodiversity Celebration Week - Online Events
We would also like to share with you a range of free online webinars that are designed to educate and generate conversations about neurodiversity.
All of the events are free of charge and are being repeated throughout the week. You can access the webinar schedule HERE. Please note that the schedule is in UK time. For example, the 'An Introduction to Neurodiversity' webinar is on at 9.30 am (UK) so 5.30 pm HK today.
The Neurodiversity Celebration Week website also has a huge range of information and resources for both children and adults that you might find useful, e.g. you will find information on Autism, ADHD, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Tourettes.
I hope you enjoy listening to the webinars and find the website informative.
Best wishes,
Ruth Maclennon
Dear Peak School Community,
We would like to invite you, our parent community, to be part of the Year 6 PYP Exhibition in the role of an expert.
Currently our Year 6 students are undertaking an inquiry of their choice and becoming the experts in that area. They will then take some sustainable action around this area of knowledge.
Please take a few minutes to fill out this SURVEY indicating if you are an expert or if you know of an expert our students can contact under the following broad topic areas.
Refugees
Once you have indicated your areas of expertise our Year 6 students can contact you via email initially and then if it is suitable a Zoom call could then be organised. This is so the student can ask you some questions to get guidance or gain more knowledge on their inquiry issue. Contacting experts is 2 prong learning for our students- they have to manage themselves to organise the meeting and be prepared for the meeting as well as the learning they will gain from the conversation with you.
Please note that our PYP Exhibition will take place on Wednesday 20th March at 5:30pm. You are all invited to come along to support our Year 6 students
Thanks again in advance for being part of our Learning Community.
Chrissy Etchells-Bailey
Dear Parent or Guardian,
The peak of the cold and flu season is upon us. To prevent widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms.
To decide whether or not to send your child to school, please
consider the following guidelines:
Keep your child at home for treatment and observation if he or she has any of these symptoms:
• Fever (greater than 37.5 degrees), please keep your child off school for 48 hours after the temperature has returned to normal as per CHP guidelines.
• Vomiting (even once)
• Diarrhea
• Chills
• General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or muscle aches
• Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
Consider keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
• Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
• Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
• Headache
• Stomach ache
To help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good hygiene habits:
• Wash hands frequently
• Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
• Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue, throw it away, and then wash hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. Often when a child awakens with vague complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to bring them to school. Your child should be physically able to participate in all school activities on return to school. Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections and viruses in the classroom.
In case the symptoms develop during school hours, we will contact you to arrange early pick-up for your child. The key to recovering from cold/flu as fast as possible is to get plenty
of rest. By resting during the day, our body will be able to devote more resources to fighting the virus.
Sincerely,
Krizma Limbu
Peak School Nurse
Dear Parents,
Year 4 students will be learning to play the recorder in our next unit, where the central idea is: “Commitment is vital when learning new things”. The program will start next week (30/01/24) and will run for 11 weeks.
Recorder options
Borrow a recorder from school.
Last year, in an effort to be more environmentally sustainable, we offered the chance to borrow a recorder from school. This proved to be a successful initiative and therefore we will continue to offer this option to Y4. Students may borrow a recorder until the end of the unit, when they will be returned to school. All school recorders have been washed and sterilised by the site staff.
Purchase your own recorder.
If you wish to purchase your own, they are available at HK music stores, such as Tom Lee. If you do decide to buy one, please ensure it is the following type:
Soprano/descant recorder (these are the same type of recorder, but are called by different names depending on the country)- any colour is fine.
The recorder must be Baroque not German, as the holes are positioned in a different way.
Recorder books
Students will be sent home with a numbered copy of the recorder book we will be using. This should be returned at the end of term.
Karate Recorder assessment programme
In addition to the recorder books that will be sent home, the students will be assessed using the Karate Recorder programme. A coloured elastic band or “belt” will be awarded for each level that a student achieves. The resources for this will be shared through Google Classroom.
If you have any questions or queries about the recorder programme, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
Jess McGraw
(Teacher of Expressive Arts)
Dear Parents,
At Peak School, we are constantly striving to enhance our communication and engagement with our school community. One of the channels we use to achieve this is social media, particularly Instagram. We understand the importance of keeping you informed and involved in your child's education, which is why we value your feedback on our use of social media.
Your Feedback Matters
We believe that your input is crucial in shaping the way we utilise social media to keep you updated about school events, achievements, and important information. Your feedback will help us ensure that our use of Instagram aligns with your expectations and preferences.
Fill in the Questionnaire
First of all, a big thank you to parents who have already filled out the questionnaire.
To gather valuable insights from our parent community, we kindly ask you to take a few minutes to fill in the questionnaire regarding Peak School's use of social media, especially Instagram. Your responses will guide us in making informed decisions about our social media communication strategies.
You can access the questionnaire by clicking on the link HERE.
The questionnaire is designed to be quick and easy to complete, and your responses will be kept confidential. If you have any troubles accessing the questionnaire, please let us know ASAP.
Thank you in advance for your time and valuable input. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Connie Williams
Communications Officer
Dear Parents,
The Centre of Health Protection has alerted all the schools across Hong Kong about increasing local seasonal influenza activity in the past week indicating that Hong Kong has entered the 2023/24 winter influenza season.
We would like to request you to check your child/ren's temperatures at home daily before they set out for school to monitor for fevers. The daily temperature is not required to be documented anywhere.
To prevent outbreaks of Influenza and other respiratory infections, it is of prime importance that children with fever (Temp >37.5) or any flu or cold symptoms (nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, headache, muscle aches, generalised malaise) stays home till they fully recover.
In case of a temperature of more than 37.5 , students should remain away from school until they are fever-free for 48 hours without the benefit of fever-reducing medicines such as Panadol or Ibuprofen.
Lastly, a gentle reminder to use the ESF app to report the absence of your child and clearly state the reason for their absence. If they are taking leave due to medical / health reasons kindly indicate the signs/symptoms they have.
Thank you
Krizma LIMBU | Peak School Nurse