23 Mar 2018

Newsletter 27/2017-18

Quarry Bay School’s latest newsletter is available to read now. Find out the latest news around the school and upcoming events.

 Principal’s Comments
 Emergency Contact Details in Gateway
 Expressive Arts News
 26th Silver Jubilee Cub Scout Group at Camp
 QBS Clubs, ESF Ed Services and Private Club Information
 QBS Year 3 Multisports
 Supply Educational Assistants
 ‘ESF The First 50 Years’
 PTA News

Principal’s Comments

Key dates for next week:

  • Monday the 26th of March – Y6 Exhibition Taster Day
  • Tuesday the 27th of March – Year 3 Chinese Parent Teacher Consultations
  • Wednesday the 28th of March – Prospective Year 1 Parent Meeting
  • Thursday the 29th of March – Pyjama Day / School will be closed at 12pm

Thank you Mr Um

Next Monday we will be saying goodbye to Mr Um our long serving QBS Caretaker. Mr Um will leave our school with the knowledge that he is respected and valued as a colleague and friend. He has given outstanding service to QBS over the last 19 years and will be missed by everyone. The children said goodbye to Mr Um during assembly today and there was a feeling of genuine sadness in the hall as he is an important part of daily school life. Thank you to Mr Um for being the world’s best Caretaker. Everyone will miss Mr Um and I would like to extend him best wishes as he prepares to leave Hong Kong and return to Nepal. QBS community will miss you!

Mr Simon Chu has commenced his role as Caretaker and I would like to welcome him to our community.

 

Council of International Schools (CIS) Preparatory Visit

This week’s visit by CIS representatives, Helena Sobulis and Terry Hamilton, was positive and successful. Many strengths in our school were affirmed by the visitors. There were a series of focus group meetings with students, staff, parents and school council representatives. These meetings were about a wide range of dimensions related to school life at QBS. The visitors will provide a report to QBS on the findings of this week’s visit. This report will offer recommendations for our school’s continued improvement.

Year 5 and Year 6 Athletics Day

Thank you to all parents for their support on Wednesday at the Athletics Day. The students enjoyed the event and gave their best efforts. We are grateful to Mr Schroder and Mr Leone for this ‘new look’ event for the older students in our school. There were many adults assisting on the day. Their contribution ensured the day’s success and that students were pushed to challenge themselves physically in a fun and supportive way.

QBS Students – Hau Yuen Path Public Bus Stop Behaviour

We have had complaints about the conduct of QBS students waiting for public buses at the end of the school day in Hau Yuen Path. Many of these students are waiting for buses with their domestic helpers and not demonstrating the standard of behaviour expected of QBS students. We wanted to make parents aware of this concern so that expected behaviours are reinforced at home. Students are expected to wait for the bus with their accompanying adult at all times after the school day ends. We are very concerned that students have been playing on the footpaths and fences and climbing in the gardens at the bus stop. This behaviour is unsafe and endangers those involved or nearby. Unfortunately some domestic helpers have not been actively supervising the children in their care when at the bus stop and I have observed this during the week.

Regards,
MinaD2

Emergency Contact Details in Gateway

Please ensure your family contact details (ie who is the priority contact person, mobile phone numbers, address) are accurate in the Gateway. In the event of an emergency we need to be able to contact parents. Recently staff have experienced some instances where mobile phone numbers and priority contact details have not been current. If there have been changes in your contact details thank you for attending to this request promptly.

Expressive Arts News

ESF 50th Anniversary Carnival

Last Saturday QBS had two performing groups at the ESF 50th Anniversary Carnival. Well done the Year 5/6 dance club and the Year 5 recorder club children. They put on a great performance. Thank you for representing QBS.

HK 70th Music Festival

QBS has had many musicians enter the HK 70th Music Festival. These children have spent hours upon hours practising and shown great confidence and been risk-takers in entering the competition.

Many of the children have been very successful in their categories and it has been fantastic that they have represented QBS in such a positive way. All the children who entered can feel very proud of themselves!

26th Silver Jubilee Cub Scout Group at Camp

Last weekend, the Cub Scouts from QBS took part in the annual District Camp, held at Pak Tam Chung. The Cubs had an amazing time and participated in a number of activities, including a night hike and an entertainment evening. A highlight of the camp was the opportunity to join with other Cub and Scout groups to enjoy a variety of activities together.

Getting ready to leave for camp

Cubs and Scouts cooperating together

Map reading on the night hike

QBS Clubs, ESF Ed Services and Private Club Information

ESF Ed Services and Private Clubs will end 23rd March, there are no make up clubs.

QBS Clubs make up lessons: please see the following list.

QBS CLUBS

  • Magic Science – 28th March
  • Art Club – 28th March
  • Scratch Coding – 27th March
  • Hockey – 27th March
  • Rugby – 27th Tournaments (Mr. Mason will be emailing the parents)

QBS Year 3 Multisports

The QBS Year 3 Multisports still has vacancies. If you want your child to join, please contact Nurse Delia.

The Year 3 Multi-sports club provides an introduction to various sporting activities with a focus on fundamental skills and concepts such as speed, agility, balance and ball familiarity. Students will experience a range of sporting skills through activities such as gymnastics, basketball, football, tennis and athletics.

Supply Educational Assistants

As you will know, our educational assistants provide invaluable support to students and teachers across the school. They support students in their learning, as well as supervising students at break and lunch times as well as assisting with arrival and dismissal.

From time to time, we need to cover these colleagues’ duties due to illness or other reasons. We have a small number of people, often parents, who step in at these times. We are currently looking for any parents who may be interested in taking on this role from time to time. If you are interested in working as a supply EA at QBS please contact me via email – michael.dewey@qbs.edu.hk

‘ESF The First 50 Years’

‘ESF The First 50 Years’ is now published! This volume chronicles the ESF story, highlighting key events over the last 50 years. It also celebrates the successes and contributions of our students and staff, both past and current.

What’s in the Book?

Stories of ESF’s major developments and milestones over the past five decades
Interviews of all 22 ESF schools with key historic events and current whole school photos
Exclusive interviews of 22 prominent alumni
Interesting stories from 5 key leaders and 12 long-serving staff
The book is now available for sale via the ESF website: www.esf.edu.hk/50th-book/. Copies will also be available in major bookshops in Hong Kong.

Enquiries: 50book@esfcentre.edu.hk

More details: http://www.esf.edu.hk/2017/12/11/esf50-book/

PTA News

Events – Pizza Lunch
Lower School- Tuesday 27th March
Upper School- Wednesday 28th March

We welcome any parent volunteers that would be able to help out!


PTA Bus

The school will be closed at 12 noon on Thursday 29th March 2018. Please click here for early closure bus schedule.


Feedback or Suggestions

If you have any feedback or suggestions you would like to make for our events or services provided, please email them directly to: ptasuggestions@qbs.edu.hk. Your email will be received directly by our Chairman, who will reply to you at the earliest available moment.

HELP US – IN OUR DRIVE FOR A GREENER ENVIRONMENT

We request all parents to support a greener environment by BYOB “bring your own bag” when you come to purchase items from the shop.

[With immediate effect the PTA Shop will no longer provide any shopping bags].

Please contact us on 2566 4242 (ask to transfer to PTA), or 2887 1004 for further queries, or by email to pta@qbs.edu.hk, during operation hours.

“Click here for PTA Office and Shop Operation”