CWBS Newsletter – Friday 16 August

Principal’s News Diary Dates Chinese Group Update  Library News PTA News Student Achievements Adverts  Disclaimer

Principal’s News

Dear parents and carers

Welcome back to the start of a new school year.  We have had a very smooth start to the year with students very excited to be back in their new classes, with their new teacher and catching up with old friends and making new ones.  There were also many parents who seemed just as excited about the start of school as their children! Our year 1 students are of course, very excited to be here for the first time and are settling in to BIG school extremely well. 

We are also very pleased to welcome all our new students in years 2-6, some 22 in all, and their families to Clearwater Bay School.  Some families have moved to live in the Sai Kung/Clearwater Bay area with students transferring from other ESF schools, other students are from other Hong Kong Schools and others are from all over the world.  We hope your time at Clearwater Bay School will be both very positive and rewarding.

New Staff

We are also pleased to welcome a number of new teaching staff this year including, Mr Matthew Dyer,  our new Vice Principal for the Early Childhood Team (Years 1-3)), Ms. Nazish Malvalvala (Year 2), Mr Anton Norman  (Year 3), Mr Matthew Gay (year 4), Ms Myra Li (Chinese), Ms Crystal Wu (Chinese), Ms Nicole Stroud (Individual Needs- LSC)), Ms Anna Kwok (Music) and Mr Mike Blundell (IT).     In addition we have several new Educational Assistants including, Ms Arabella Lambe (5L & 5K), Ms Vivien Li (6M), Ms Rebecca Saunders (6B), Ms Holy Yoong (6S), Ms Jo Shan (Chinese) and Mr Him Wong (PE).  Ms Teresa Tsang has also joined us as our new full-time school nurse.  

We also welcome back from maternity and parenting leave, Ms Emma Watkins (Year 1) and Ms Penny Hui (3M)

Our school leadership team this year consists of Ms Kathy Derrick who will take on the VP role responsible for the Primary team (years 4-6), Assessment & Reporting and Individual Needs.  Mr Matthew Dyer is Vice Principal responsible for the Early Childhood team (Years 1-3) and admissions. Ms Wendy Egan is the Literacy & Numeracy coach /PYP coordinator for the Primary Team and is overseeing Mathematics across the school, whilst Ms Lisa Harris returns to the role of  Literacy/Numeracy Coach and PYP Coordinator role for the Early Childhood Team (years 1-3).  She will also oversee Literacy and English across the school.

I am also very pleased to be continuing in the principal’s role at CWBS and I look forward to a very positive and productive year for all students, staff and parents!  A staff list is included later in this newsletter

Parent information nights.

Our beginning of the year, parent information nights are a great opportunity to meet your child’s new teacher and find out about the teaching and learning program for the term/year.  Details are listed below, with all parents most welcome to attend. Please note, when you arrive at school you should come up to the hall first rather than going directly to classrooms.

Year 1 -3 on Tuesday 27th August from 6.30-7.30pm

Years 4 – 6 on Thursday 29th August also from 6.30-7.30pm

Specialist subjects/teachers – Wednesday 4 September from 6.30pm-7.30pm

Student information Sheet

Early next week we are sending home a Student Information Sheet so that you can provide your child’s teacher with relevant information about your child.  This will help the teacher to easily and quickly get to know your child and ensure they are better able to cater to their needs. Please complete the sheet and return it to your child’s teacher at school.  If after completing the sheet you still feel that you need to discuss your child’s particular needs then please ring the teacher to discuss these or to arrange a mutually convenient time to meet with the teacher.    Year 1 parents should have already received this Student Information sheet as part of the induction materials sent home late last school year. 

Summer works

We have had some more work done refurbishing areas of the school over the summer holidays.  The front of all year 3 and 4 classrooms were refurbished over the summer to provide a new whiteboard and more display and storage space as well as more learning floorspace in the classroom. The downstairs playground was repainted with new court markings and the Shade structure from the front gate to the Office was painted and a new shade sail installed, after the original one was torn down last year in typhoon MangKhut.

Parent Gateway logins, update of details and new data privacy requirements

It is very important at the start of the year that all parents log in to their Parent Gateway account to update family, medical and emergency contact details.  Please call the office on 23583221 or email info@cwbs.edu.hk if you have any queries or need assistance.

Before and after school, drop off and pick up arrangements

Students should arrive at school in the morning between 8.00am and 8.20am.  Arriving very early is a concern as no teacher supervision is provided in the playground before 8.00am.  At 8.00am Year 4. 5 & 6 students are to go up to the roof to play and line up. Students in Years 1, 2 & 3 stay and line up on the main playground.  If it is wet weather in the morning a bell/announcement will be made at 8.00am to send students directly to class. 

After school, parents collecting Year 1 students should wait outside the University gate until it is opened at 2.35pm.  Year 1 students will be brought out by their Year 6 buddies and the teachers to meet you in the area immediately in front of the Year 1 classrooms.  If you also have older children please arrange with them to meet you there too and leave by the University gate. Other parents collecting students in Years 2-6 should wait under the shade sail or in the undercover area for students to come downstairs and come across the playground to meet you.  Please do not come onto the playground or over to the stairs to meet children as we are trying to keep this area clear so all students can come out to their bus lines and/or easily see and find their parents. Please discuss pick up arrangements with your child and make a designated spot for them to come to you.

A reminder that there is no parent parking at school when you are dropping off your child in the morning or collecting him or her in the afternoon.  You can drive in and drop off in the morning, though please do not get out of your car as this really slows down and holds up the flow of traffic causing it to bank up back out onto the main road.  There is no parking or pick up in the car park in the afternoon at all as we have 25 buses that must access the car park to pick up all the children. You may park in the car park next to the Caltex petrol station or in the university.  Please be aware that there is also no parking on Ngan Ying Road and that the police have advised us that anyone parking on the street will be issued with a parking infringement notice. They are very keen to ensure that the street does not become blocked with illegally parked cars so that buses can access the university bus station. 

Finally a reminder that school finishes for the day at 2.35pm so please ensure your child is picked up promptly at this time.   If due to a one off circumstance or emergency you are unable to collect your child on time a phone call to the front office so we are aware of the situation would be appreciated.   As no supervision is provided after school students should not be left waiting around on school grounds to be collected later than 2.35pm or for after school activities that do not start immediately.   Please note that waiting for the buses to leave by 2.50pm before coming into the car park to collect children is not acceptable. Your cooperation would be appreciated and will ensure the safety and well being of all students. 

Kind Regards

Chris Hamilton

Principal

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Diary Dates

Friday 23 August                   Year 4-6 Assembly 1.50pm (Year 4  hosting)

Tuesday 27 August                First full day all year 1 students. End of staggered start.

Tuesday 27 August                Years 1-3 – Parent Information Night 6.30pm -7.30pm

Thursday 29 August              Years 4-6 – parent Information Night 6.30pm – 7.30pm

Friday 30  August                   My Cultural Story day        

Friday 31 August                    Year 4-6 Assembly at 1.50pm (Year 3 hosting)

Wednesday 4 September       Specialist subjects – parent information night (all years) 6.30-7.30pm

Friday 6 September                PTA sausage sizzle lunch

Friday 13 September              School CPD day (Language – English as an Additional Language).  School Closed for students.

Chinese Group Update 

Library News

PTA News

The PTA is  already preparing for the biggest CWBS fundraising event of the year, the school fair on 2nd November. Kerensa Heywood will be coordinating the event this year and leading a preparation meeting on Thursday, 22 August, 7:30- 8:30 pm at Cena in Sai Kung. All ideas and volunteers welcome.

If you are able to continue being a class contact or are interested to learn more about the role please attend the class contacts meeting on 28 August, 8:30-9:30 am, multipurpose room level 1. Refreshments provided.

Clearwater Bay School Parent Teacher Association Ltd

Student Achievements 

Adverts

For more information, click here 

Disclaimer

Clearwater Bay School (CWBS) reserves the right to accept or reject any advertisement submitted for CWBS publications and on its websites. However, CWBS does not attempt to investigate or verify advertisements appearing in CWBS´s publications and on its websites. The appearance of advertising in CWBS´s publications and on its websites in no way implies endorsement or approval by CWBS of any advertising claims or of the advertiser, its product, or services. CWBS disclaims any liability whatsoever in connection with advertising appearing in CWBS´s publications and on its websites.