CWBS Newsletter – Friday 25 September
Principal’s News Diary Dates PTA News Adverts Disclaimer
Principal’s News
Welcome back! It has been wonderful to have our Y2-6 students back in school this week. The children have returned to school full of smiles, and we are all glad to have been able to learn together again at school. In this week’s newsletter:
- Learning conferences
- Return to School
- Afternoon Learning Tasks
- Dismissal Arrangements
- Zoom Security
- CWB Safe and Healthy Poster Competition
- Music Provision – Recorder
- PYP Inquiry
Learning conferences
Learning conferences are important for building home school partnerships that support student learning. The Term 1 learning conferences will be held with class teachers over Zoom in the afternoon on 13,14 October, and in the evening on 15 October.
These conferences will be a structured conversation between students, parents and teachers. They will not be a formal report on academic progress, but rather an opportunity to connect, reflect on learning so far, and share any information that will support your child’s learning in the future.
This round of conferences will focus on class teachers. We will provide additional opportunities to connect with Chinese teachers and other specialist teachers later in the school year.
Key dates
- Monday 28 September 9am – Bookings open in Gateway for families with siblings at CWBS
- Tuesday 29 September 9am – Booking open for all
- Wednesday 6 October 10pm – Bookings close
- 13-14 October – Conferences 1:00-4:00
- 15 October – Conferences 2:30-6:00
Please note: There will not be any teacher Zoom afternoon sessions on the conference days. Learning tasks will be shared for students to complete at home each day.
Return to School
We have been very pleased to reconnect with our Y2-6 students this week. Teachers have been impressed by how our Y2-6 students have returned to school. They have been principled in following our CWB Safe and Healthy approach. From Tuesday 29th September we look forward to welcoming all students into school again. Please click the link here for our return to school plan, which was previously shared last Friday.
Afternoon Learning Tasks
Following the return to school for all students on 29 September, learning tasks will be posted on the year level page of the Cahoot platform, rather than being shared via daily email to parents as previously. A screenshot below shows the format of how the tasks will be accessed.
The tasks will be posted by 4pm the day beforehand to allow parents to discuss tasks with their children. In addition, the tasks will be shared with students whilst at school in the morning in order to support independent completion.
We hope that this method of sharing the tasks will be beneficial to parents in reducing the amount of emails received, and also make for easy access for students and any adults supporting learning at home. Class teachers will continue to send weekly emails to update parents on the learning for the week ahead.
Dismissal Arrangements
We have reviewed dismissal procedures in order to ensure student safety and also support the need for social distancing. The dismissal from school will be slightly staggered.
- Students travelling on buses will be dismissed at 12noon
- Students being collected by adults will be dismissed from the playground at 12:10pm
Adults collecting students should arrive no earlier to school than 12noon to complete temperature check and meet their child. It is requested that adults maintain social distance whilst waiting to meet students on the playground.
CWB Safe and Healthy Poster Competition
Thank you, and well done to all the students who submitted posters for the CWBSafe and Healthy competition. We liked them all so much that we have decided to feature them all at locations around the school.
Child Protection and Safeguarding
Our CWBS child protection officer is Kathy Derrick (Vice Principal). ESF believes that every child has the right to learn and live in conditions which protect them from harm, and that promote the optimum development of their intellectual, physical, emotional and social wellbeing. ESF has recently reviewed and updated the ‘Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy’ which you can access in both English and Chinese on our CWBS website. Training/upskilling has recently taken place for all staff across the school.
Zoom Security
Recently, we have had reports from other Hong Kong schools about unauthorised persons attempting to enter zoom calls. Please check the account name your child is using to access Zoom meetings. Teachers will continue to monitor calls closely and will only admit names they recognise into Zoom calls. Teachers work with our Tech team to resolve any concerns or issues if they arise.
Music Provision – Recorder
Thank you very much for getting your child ready for the recorder unit during the distance learning period. There have been some lessons on zoom, or asynchronous lessons at home, during which students have started playing the recorder. In regards to the latest EDB Guidelines, we are advised to avoid playing wind instruments. Therefore, we would ask that all students keep their recorders at home for the time being. We will resume our recorder unit once we are advised by the EDB that it is safe to do so.
YP – Inquiry Cycle
The ‘Inquiry Cycle’ is a flexible framework which guides students through a thoughtful process of inquiry that assists the movement from the known to the new. We use this framework with our students to allow them to wonder, look for patterns, seek new information, link to prior learning and transfer their skills and knowledge.
Below are some questions that can help guide students through the inquiry cycle;
Michael Dewey
Principal
Diary Dates
Tuesday 29 September – All students return to school
Wednesday 30 September – Deadline for Y1 Central Admissions for August 2021
Thursday 1 October – National Day (Public Holiday)
Friday 2 October – The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival (Public Holiday)
PTA News
It is so good to have children back on site and thanks to all parents who have been following the appointment system for visiting the PTA.
To acknowledge the challenging start we’ve had this year, the PTA has reissued Paypal invoices for all families yet to settle their mandatory PTA membership fee and removed the surcharge. All families who paid the surcharge should check their email and respond to the instructions to process this refund.
The PTA shop will be open, by appointment only, each day next week from 9am to 12noon. Please email cwbspta@cwbs.edu.hk to book an appointment if you would like to purchase uniform or stationery. Alternatively, check the website for the stationery list and send your child in with the correct money so they can purchase their own items from the PTA shop.
We only have samples of the new uniform, so you must order and buy online. We are getting low on used uniform items, so if you have any to donate, please bring them to school.
Best wishes to all families for establishing the new routines next week.
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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.