DBIS News

Welcome to our 2010 / 2011 school year

Thursday 26 August

Dear Parents

Miriam Clark

I am sad to inform you that a member of our school community for a number of years passed away recently.  Miriam Clark worked as an Education Assistant in our Kindergarten from 1993 to 2000, and also volunteered many hours helping to build our school library.  Miriam is remembered by those who worked with her as positive and engaging colleague and as a staff member who always gave so much to our Kindergarten children.  Our thoughts are with her husband Ian and sons Matthew and Sam, both former students at DBIS, at this difficult time. 

Welcome Back to our New School Year:  A very warm welcome back to all of our existing Discovery Bay International School families, students and staff.  A special welcome to all new families to your new school and of course to our new students starting in all classes from Nursery through to Year 9.  You are joining a fine school with a strong community base that offers quality education in a caring family environment.

Our staff and students are well rested after a most enjoyable summer break and everyone is recharged for yet another superb school year.  All classes have settled very quickly, with our new Nursery children slowly making up their full classes.  All staff members are busy setting the expectations in their respective classes as our students come up to speed with the higher expectations placed upon them.

This is also an important time of year to get to know your child’s teachers and to build the vital and positive relationship of value with everyone throughout the adventures, discoveries and fun of the year ahead.  Year Group Leaders are also able to chat with you as required and our Senior Leadership Team members are available for you as well.  As always, if you are unsure about anything related to your child, or to do with your school, please ask. We can’t always promise to solve every issue, but we do listen carefully so that we can collectively do our best for your child – and for every student in our school.

We start with yet another record total school roll of 897 and waiting lists in all but one year level.  Thank you all for your hugely appreciated assistance in helping our staff ensure that we have had the best start possible to our new school year.

New Parents Morning Tea:  We would like to invite all new families to a special welcome morning tea, to be held in our Globe theatre next Wednesday morning, 1 September, starting at 10:15 am.  Our Senior Leadership Team would like to spend a little time with you, if possible, and to also answer any particular questions you may have about your child’s start at school.  Please call Jean at our Primary / Secondary School office (2987 7331) to confirm your attendance.

Staffing:  Once again, our staff numbers increase this year due to the faster than anticipated growth of our new Secondary School.  Mr Tony Fryer is our new Head of Key Stage 3 and 4.  Ms Kylie Lennan joins us in Sunflower and Starlight Nursery.  Ms Tanya Balka is one of our new music teachers and will be teaching in Kindergarten and Primary classes.  My Ben Walker moves to become our new music coordinator and Mr Vincent Bradley makes up the third member of our growing music department.

Mr Matt Corbett is our new physical education coordinator, teaching PE and PSHCE in our Secondary School.  Our PE department grows in number with two new Primary PE teachers, Ms Susanne Chambers and Mr Jarrod Dunn.  Mr Russell Moriarty is the Year 4 Year Group Leader and starts with Ms Katie Worthington also in Year 4.  We have Ms Kelly Metcalfe in the Year 5 group while Mr Kris Metcalfe and Mr Daniel Philo are teaching in Year 6.

Our Secondary School also welcomes Ms Laura Beaumont as our new humanties teacher, Ms Fiona Mak will be teaching Mandarin and Mr Adam Reid in mathematics.  Mr Paul Allams has moved to Secondary in a new post teaching media literacy and critical thinking.

All of our new staff members have enjoyed their welcome to Hong Kong and of course to their new school.  Be sure to say hello when the opportunity presents and add to the special feeling of being part of a great school community.

Secondary School Parents’ Evening:  A range of developments is underway with our Secondary School students.  A key initiative is the launch of our Tutor Groups programme.  In essence, our Tutor Groups programme will see each student join a small tutor group (10–14 students), with their own tutor teacher monitoring their progress and achievement throughout the year.  Tutor group classes and one to one conferences will also provide a special communication forum related to all curriculum, co curricular and extra curricular involvements.  Tony Fryer will send out further information on our Tutor Groups programme to parents of Secondary students today.

We will be holding our first Secondary School parents’ evening on Thursday 2 September, starting at 7:30 pm in the Globe Theatre.  The evening will begin with a brief outline on ‘Digital Citizenship Awareness’.  You will also have the opportunity to meet all of our Secondary teachers, and to chat with your child’s tutor teacher.  Refreshments will be available and we look forward to seeing you all at this parents’ evening.

SATs Results:  All of our Year 6 students for last year have by now received their externally marked SATs results.  Once again our students performed well above the United Kingdom expectations.  Notwithstanding the facts that we are non selective with mainstream students and that we welcome all students for whom English is a second language, the quality of our results in the Year 6 SATs, consistent with the range of other externally moderated or norm referenced tests, are impressive.  Thank you once again to our hugely talented teachers and most supportive parents in enabling our students to work so successfully towards their potential.

English:         89% of students achieved level 4 or above (35% level 5)

Mathematics: 92% of students achieved level 4 or above (49% level 5)

N.B: Level 4 = Achieved target for age Level 5 = Exceeded target for age.

International Food Fair:  An early reminder to keep Saturday 27 November clear for our major school community event – the DBIS International Food Fair.  We are also calling for volunteers to work on the Food Fair committee. This is a well organised operation and is good fun to be part of.  We welcome parents who have worked on past Food Fair committees as well as new parents in our school community.  Please contact Jean at our Primary / Secondary School office to register your interest.

DBIS Peripatetic Programme: Things are really looking exciting in the music department. There has been an outstanding display of interest in our peripatetic instrumental programme and we are currently in the process of formulating timetables. The programme will begin week beginning 13th September and students and parents will be notified with regards to days and times.


On another exciting note, we are currently in the process of forming our music ensembles for both Primary and Secondary students. There will be a vast array of musical groups including our school orchestra, choirs, bands, and instrumental ensemble groups.

Extra Curricular Activities:  Once again, our school is offering a wide range of extra curricular activities for students (usually for Year 3 to Year 9 students).  There is a special register / sign up day for all sports teams on Monday 30 August at 3:15 pm in the gymnasium.  Students are being reminded and we welcome your attendance on Monday afternoon to meet our many coaches.

Teachers responsible for music related extra curricular activities including choirs, orchestra, rock bands, and instrumental ensemble groups are already ‘signing up’ students.  Teachers responsible for other extra curricular activities / clubs including dance, modern foreign languages, drama, Mandarin, Young Entrepreneurs, modern dance, Green Fingers, homework, gymnastics and Digital Media and Communications Literacy will be inviting students to take part soon.

Boardwalk Café:  Our new Boardwalk Café is in operation but it is not yet fully functional.  There have been hold ups with the supply of some kitchen equipment as well as the purpose designed serving / counter / display equipment.  At this stage, food is not being prepared on site.  We hope this will start next week.

Summer Works:  Thank you to all of our administration, property and maintenance staff for the work completed over the summer.  The Kindergarten staffroom and administration areas have been adjusted.  Our targeted support facilities have been remodeled at our Primary School.  The Year 5 class refurbishments have been completed and our current Secondary classroom have been remodeled.

Permission for the use of student work and appearances:  New families to our school will have recently received a form requesting you to indicate whether you give permission for your child’s images and work to appear from time to time on our school website and within our general publications.  The gathering of this data is part of our internet and publication safety programme.  Existing families will soon receive a similar form asking you to simply indicate if you no longer give permission for your child’s images and work to appear on our school website and within general publications.  Please return the form to school as soon as you are able, as this will allow our teachers to begin sharing some lovely learning moments with you via their class web pages.  

Influenza Awareness in Hong Kong:  Recent information from the Centre for Health Protection indicates an increase in influenza activity associated with the summer influenza season.  The Centre encourages parents to check your child’s temperatures on a daily basis and to ensure that children with a fever remain at home for a 48 hour period to recover.

Kind regards

Grant Ramsay

Principal

Community Notices

Disclaimer - The following notices are presented as a community service.  While the content is proofed and generally summarised, it is important to state that the information contained in these Community Notices in no way reflects Discovery Bay International School policy or practices.

Animal Adoption Day:  On Sunday 12th September, the animal society PALS (Protection of Animals Lantau South) will be holding another of its successful animal adoption days at the Gazebo by the DBIS car park.  The event runs from 12:00 pm – 2.30 pm and gives you a chance to meet some of their animals and to decide if you could offer a permanent or temporary home to one of them.

See you there!