Bradbury Newsletter 30 October
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Greetings to you all and a warm welcome to those families who have recently joined us.
Next Friday, 6 November, 5.30 – 7.30 p.m., is our Bradbury School Picnic. This is an informal event designed to welcome you into our school and give you the opportunity to get to know other parents and staff in a relaxed setting. So – bring a picnic and a rug and enjoy our live band. Note, as we will be on the tarmac playground, no school parking is available.
We have one parent vacancy on our School Council, which is the governing body of the school. The Council’s role is to take a strategic overview of the governance of the school. It looks at the ‘big picture’ of the running of our school and offers a check and balance to ensure that policies and processes are in place. This involves budget setting, long term overview of curriculum development, site development, health and safety, staffing. The Council support me in my day to day management of the school but do not get involved with it on a micro or site level. Our parent representative will need a commitment to Bradbury, a passion for the education of all of our students, the ability to think strategically and objectively.
Forms for the nomination of representatives are included with this newsletter. Please have these back to school by 3 p.m. on 13 November. Ballot papers and envelopes will be issued on the 27 November – please note these will be in hard copy. All ballot papers must be returned in the official envelope, otherwise they are invalid and cannot be counted. A biography of candidates will be sent to you via email during the week of 16 November. Ballot papers are to be back at school by 3 p.m. Friday 11 December.
Results will be announced the following week.
As you would all be aware, Bradbury School featured in a recent SCMP article. The nature and tone of this article was very disappointing and did not in any way reflect the good work that is a feature and characteristic of our school. I did not talk to the press. What I think the article highlighted is the importance of parents recognising our standing invitation: come and talk to us first and always if you have any concerns about any of the things we do here. We are a school that encourages innovation and initiative – in order to do this, we have to try lots of new things. Some we get right, some we don’t and we rely on your feedback to let us know how we are doing. Thanks to the parents who offered encouraging and positive feedback in regards to this.
Bradbury School has been offered the top floor of our neighbouring building, formerly used as ESF Centre. We are planning to use this space for a new state-of-the-art library and multimedia facility. A covered bridge will link the building with Bradbury. This is a very exciting development for us. The bridge is expected to be built over Summer 2010. But, we are taking our time over the interior of the library to ensure we have the knowledge to make good decisions! The rest of the building will house Hillside Kindergarten, formerly known as Sheung Wan Kindergarten.
Yesterday, we had a pizza sale at school. We were trialling a new supplier. Instead of the 800 pizza slices ordered, only 200 arrived, which meant that many students missed out on pizza. However, our quick thinking parents in charge of the sale, made a quick dash to the local supermarket to purchase an alternative so that all students had something to eat and no one went hungry. The supplier has offered their deepest apology and as a token of goodwill is offering a 50% discount off any food item purchased in the month of November. You must mention ‘Bradbury’ to be eligible for this discount to Pizzetteria 2A Star St., Wanchai
Yours sincerely,
Sandra Webster
Principal
Poppy Appeal
In support of local ex-servicemen and women and in memory of those who lost their lives in conflict, we are supporting the annual Poppy Appeal this year. poppies will be available and donations can be made at the school reception until Wednesday 11th November 2009.
J.Ainsworth - Vice Principal
PTA NEWS: DATE FOR THE DIARY - BRADBURY SCHOOL FAIR
SATURDAY 5TH DECEMBER
The Bradbury School Fair will be on Saturday 5th December 2009. This is held every two years and is the P.T.A.’s major fund raising event so we need your support. There will be a market place, all kinds of stalls, games and amusements and a full programme of entertainment for all ages. Plenty of food and drink will be available too.
The Market Place.
We will have a market place selling wonderful items from external vendors. If you would like to book a table at the market place, please contact Anita Clements at anita@abercorn.com.hk or Judy Stevenson at stevensonhk@netvigator.com
Talent Show
This year we will also be holding a talent show with the theme ‘Michael Jackson Songs’. Help to raise money and have fun singing or dancing to some of your favourite MICHAEL JACKSON songs. The competition is open to all Bradbury students – sing and/or dance solo, in a duet or a group (max 5 people). Categories will be: Years 1 & 2, Years 3 & 4, Years 5 & 6 with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category. Overall winners of each category will have a chance to perform on the main stage in the afternoon. Application forms and more details will be sent out again via class parents. There is limited space and so applications will be accepted on a strictly first-come first served basis. One entry per child and the entries will cost HK$20 per child.
The Stalls.
We will have the following stalls and would be grateful for all donations. Please bring donations to the hall.
· Books (adults and children’s) DVDs, VCDs, CDs, videos, etc. (new or second hand)
· Toys and Games – in good condition (No soft toys please as they do not store well)
· Bottle Stall/Lucky Dip – preferably full bottles! Other items welcome.
· White Elephant – anything new or in good condition that you don’t want but someone else might e.g.
costume jewellery, pretty boxes, ornaments, etc.
· Previously loved designer and good quality clothing and accessories. All clothes should be clean please. (Last time we had top brands such as Christian Lacroix, Channel, Christian Dior, Shanghai Tang and Celine to name a few.)
· Any items that may be suitable for raffle prizes or small items for game prizes.
Help
If you are able to help with the organisation of the fair or can help out on the day or have any queries, please contact us by email at pta@bs.esf.edu.hk.
Note: For those students in our school who suffer from food allergies, we cannot guarantee a nuts free environment on this day.
Thank you for your generosity!
Bradbury Parent Teacher Association
IMPORTANT DATES
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DATE
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ACTIVITY
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TIME
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3 November 2009 (Tuesday)
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Class 4M to Lantau
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8.40 a.m.
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4 November 2009 (Wednesday)
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Parental Consultations (Option 2)
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2.00 p.m. – 6.30 p.m.
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5 November 2009 (Thursday)
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Class 4S to Lantau
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8.40 a.m.
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6 November 2009 (Friday)
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School Picnic
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5.30 p.m.
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9 November 2009 (Monday) –
11 November 2009(Wednesday)
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Class 5B/5C Camp
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8.30 a.m.
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10 November 2009 (Tuesday)
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Class 6K to CLP Power
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8.30 a.m.
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10 November 2009 (Tuesday)
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Year 4 Morning Tea
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10.00 a.m.
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11 November 2009(Wednesday)
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Literacy Information for Year 3 & 4
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5.30 p.m.
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13 November 2009 (Friday)
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Deadline for Nomination of School Council Representative
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3.00 p.m.
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17 November 2009 (Tuesday)
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Literacy Information for Year 5 & 6
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5.30 p.m.
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19 November 2009 (Thursday)
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Year 1/Year 6 MMR Vaccinations
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All Day
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23 November 2009 (Monday) -
25 November 2009 (Wednesday)
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Class 5A/5T Camp
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8.30 a.m.
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24 November 2009 (Tuesday)
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Year 6 Morning Tea
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10.00 a.m.
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27 November 2009(Friday)
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Ballot Papers to be issued
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11 December 2009 (Friday)
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Deadline for Ballot Papers
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3.00 p.m.
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ESF Slamdunk Basketball League
For all the basketball enthusiasts our ESF Slamdunk Basketball League is ongoing at South Island School and Renaissance College. The action in the past few weeks has been intense with some down-to-the-last second shots made for the team victory.
The games at Renaissance College start at 9AM for beginners and 10AM for advanced players every Saturday.
On the Hong Kong Island side our C Division (Age 10 and under) games start at 1:30PM, our B Division (Age 12 and under) games start at 2:30PM and our A Division (Ages 16 and under) games begin at 4:30PM every Saturday.
Please call ESF Educational Services at 2711-1280 for more details or visit the Sports-Basketball section on our website at www.esf.org.hk.
P.E. NEWS
WOW what a fantastic end to an extremely busy half term!
In the last week of the half term the Year 4, 5 and 6 students all finished their athletics unit of work with a lesson down at Causeway Bay athletic ground. This saw them performing the skills they had been learning during the unit. It was great to see how much the children had improved since last year. Everyone put in tremendous performances, but as always there are a few who deserve special congratulations. These go to the following girls and boys who won their year group competition.
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Year 6 Boys
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Year 6 Girls
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1st
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Luca Klardie
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1st
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Tiffany Yu
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2nd
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Charlie Walton
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2nd
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Isobel Crouch
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3rd
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Harry Butcher
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3rd
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Dominique Van Reisen
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4th
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Samuel Stuart
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Year 5 Boys
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Year 5 Girls
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1st
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Harry Woodrow
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1st
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Millie Jones
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2nd
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Luca Howard
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2nd
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Kaila Pasceri
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3rd
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James Bradley
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3rd
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Aisha Sharif
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Year 4 Boys
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Year 4 Girls
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1st
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Shawn Simon
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1st
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Alanna Clements
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2nd
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James Davidson and Fraser Laing
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2nd
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Ashlin Devonport and Lisa Catalan
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3rd
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Kiran Joshua Wang and Joe McDonald
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3rd
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Zoe Rixon
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In the Year 5 end of unit netball competition the standards were very high and the competition really got going as the netballers took to the courts to prove they were the best Year 5 team. Congratulations go to the two winning teams, 5A Team 2, 5T Team 2 and to the Year 5 teachers for an amazing job on this unit.
The Year 4 and Year 6 soccer units also ended on a high with two fantastic football festivals taking place down at Happy Valley. Once again it was amazing to see the skills the children had all developed and the high quality of football being played. Thanks to Bess Hepworth from Bonzapie and all the Year 4 and Year 6 teachers for an awesome unit.
This half term during P.E. lesson with their class teachers the Year 3 children will be learning netball. While Years 4 and 6 will be developing their cricket skills. Year 3 are lucky to have Karin Looram a highly accomplished netball player and coach working with them throughout this unit. Years 4 and 6 have the coaches from Oricom cricket centre of excellence helping them develop their cricketing skills.
Things were also busy in the after school activities. The swim team had a fantastic afternoon at the GSIS swimming gala. There were some brilliant swims and I was thrilled to see all our swimmers performing tumble turns in their races. The under 10 team had the best afternoon and brought home the winners trophy for their competition.
The runners took on CIS and all had fabulous runs. Special mention goes to Jasper Langford, Kara McMillan, Joshua Marwick, James Davidson and Kelsie Bouttle who all finished in the top four in their races. The star of the afternoon for Bradbury School was Yehudi Chan who won his age group race, completing 2 KM’s in 9 minutes and 11 seconds. On the soccer field Bradbury were also a force to be reckoned with. At the ESF soccer tournament they played 8 games winning 5, drawing 1 and narrowly losing 2. This great display of teamwork resulted in them winning the plate. Well done to the whole team, especially Charlie Walton and Luca Klardie for finding the back of the net so often and William Donker for keeping his nerves of steel during two lots of penalty shoot outs!
The after school activity program continues this half term and it is proving to be no quieter than last half term. The soccer teams have a busy diary, this Saturday they head up to Hong Lok Yuen for a tournament and on Friday the under 10 teams will be playing at GSIS in a tournament. On Tuesday the swimmers are traveling to Shing Mun to compete in the HK Schools swimming gala and the runners are off to Tai Po for a cross country race. Good luck to you all.
Marie Farry – Head of Physical Education
YEAR 5 – UNIT OF INQUIRY: HOW THE WORLD WORKS
In Year 5 our first Unit of Inquiry was How the World Works - People use scientific processes to challenge, investigate and clarify ideas. Please enjoy the photos of our unit of inquiry.
We visited Braemar Hill to study the streams and take water samples as part of our Inquiry.
We also tried to purify samples of dirty water using filtration, boiling and evaporation.
We invited parents into the class to find out how we did our experiments. Please see the pictures at the bottom of this newsletter.
We invited parents into the class to find out how we did our experiments. Please see the pictures at the bottom of this newsletter.
Year 5 Teachers
PYP NEWS: YEAR 3 PROGRAM OF INQUIRY (POI)
The most significant and distinctive feature of the Primary Years Program is the six transdisciplinary themes. These themes are about issues that have meaning for, and are important, to all of us. The six themes of global significance create a transdisciplinary framework that allows our students to move beyond the confines of learning within subject areas.
Last year teachers at Bradbury worked in collaborative teams to develop a PYP Program of Inquiry (POI). A school’s Program of Inquiry is made up of 36 transdisciplinary Units (6 per year group). Each unit of inquiry runs for approximately six weeks. This week we will share the Program of Inquiry for Year 3.
The development of a Program of Inquiry is a continual process and teachers are constantly evaluating and reviewing the current units, along with developing new units.
C. Duncan – PYP Co-ordinator/Vice Principal
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YEAR 3
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Trans-disciplinary
Theme
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Who we are
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How the world works
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How We Express Ourselves
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Sharing The Planet
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Where We Are In Place And Time
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How We Organise Ourselves
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Definition
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An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental,social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends,communities and cultures; rights andresponsibilities; what it means to be human.
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An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and the environment.
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An inquiry into the ways in which we discover andexpress ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the way in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
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An inquiry into our rights and responsibilitiesin the struggle to sharefinite resources with otherpeople and with other living things; communitiesand of the relationships within and betweenthem; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
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An inquiry into orientation in place and time;personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationship between the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
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An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
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Unit title
Subject Focus
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Healthy Habits
PSHE, PE, Language
Term 1 – Unit 1
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Air
Science and Language
Term 2 – Unit 4
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Abstract Art
Visual Arts
Term 1 – Unit 2
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Build it up
Science and Technology
Term 3 – Unit 6
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Legacies: An examination of past civilizations
Social Studies
Term 3 –Unit 5
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Have I got news for you
Language
Term 1 – Unit 3
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Central Idea
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We can make choices and take responsibility to be healthy
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Understanding how the use of air impacts our lives
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Abstract art is an expression of human thoughts
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The design of buildings and structures are influenced by the environment and the availability of materials.
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Past civilizations have an impact on us.
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Different forms of news media are used to inform and entertain.
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Lines of Inquiry
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*Factors that contribute to health and well being,
*What we can do to make ourselves healthy
*Making informed choices about the food I eat and the exercise I do to stay healthy
Key Concepts: Connection, causation and responsibility
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*The evidence of the existence of air
*What air can do and how we can use it
*The relationship between air and sound
Key Concepts: Function and Causation
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*What visual / musical elements constitute abstract art / music
*How using different elements and techniques can help us to express ourselves (art and music)
*How artwork / music can be interpreted by different viewers
Key Concepts: Connection and Perspective
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*Consideration to take into account when building a structure
*How structures impact on the environment
*Materials have different properties which can be used in different ways
Key Concepts: Form and Function
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*Civilization begins with farming.
*The time and place of civilizations.
*The components of Ancient Civilisations (systems, artifacts) and how they are connected to today.
*The different types of civilizations
Key Concepts: Change, Connection
Key Concepts: Change, Connection
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* What constitutes news
*News is reported in different ways
*News impacts me
Key Concepts: Form and Causation
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| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Bradbury School Council Elections.doc | 391 KB |
| Year5Trip.JPG | 2.34 MB |
| Year5presenting.JPG | 334.05 KB |
