Dear Families, 

Thank you for your generosity of spirit through Term 1. It has been a pleasure working with your children and being part of their learning since August. They have been a delight. 

Looking ahead, please save the following dates for our 'Family Days' when parents will be invited to join events in their child's session ahead of The Year of the Horse. More specific details will follow. 

Monday 9th February Pandas and Caterpillars
Tuesday 10th February Giraffes and Ladybirds
Wednesday 11th February Elephants and Butterflies
Thursday 12th February Tigers and Bumblebees 

Please take the time to read the ESF Child Protection brochure that has been shared with you this week. Mandatory Reporting in Hong Kong will take effect in January. I'm happy to answer any follow-up questions you may have about this. 

We look forward to welcoming the children back to school on Tuesday 6th January.

I wish your family the very best for the festive season.

Suzannah

Dear Parents,

Keeping your child safe is our top priority at ESF.

I would like to share our Safeguarding and Child Protection Brochure with you. This document explains how we work to protect your children from harm.

You may be aware that Hong Kong has introduced a new law regarding child protection. As of 20 January 2026, our teachers and staff are legally required to report serious safety concerns to the authorities. We view this as a positive step to ensure children's safety, and all our staff have been trained on this new law.

We want to work closely with you to keep your child safe.

If you ever have a worry or concern, no matter how small, please come and speak to us. It doesn't have to be about a major incident; it could simply be a feeling you have or something you are unsure about.

You can speak with your school's Principal, or contact your school's Child Protection Officers directly. Please visit your school's website and go to the "What we stand for" section. You can find their contact details there.

Our doors are always open to you.

Sincerely,

Mark Blackshaw

Director of Education
English Schools Foundation 
 

Dear Families, 

On Friday, 5th December, there will be fundraising for those affected by the Tai Po fires. Children are invited to come to school wearing something in their favourite colour if they want to. Parents will be able to make donations to the Hong Kong government fund at school if they wish to do so. We will be framing it in school as a way to show kindness to people in Hong Kong who need help, rather than directly addressing the details of the tragic incident in Tai Po.

We will postpone our sing-alongs and class events until the new year, incorporating additional performances into our Chinese New Year family days. We will also have other opportunities to celebrate together in the rest of the school year. I appreciate the parents who have taken the time to contact me for further clarification or to share feedback during this time of sadness for all in Hong Kong, and I'm aware of the depth of care and commitment you all feel towards our TYK community as we move forward together. 

As we approach the last week of Term 1, please note the significant upcoming dates below. 

Kind regards, 
Suzannah

Upcoming Dates
Friday 5th December Fundraising Day
Monday 8th December School closed (Post-Election Day)
Wednesday 10th December Last Day of school for children
Tuesday 6th January Back to School day for children Term 2

Dear Parents,

Following the distressing news of the fire in Tai Po, we are writing to share how we are supporting children and to offer advice for the days ahead. Whenever a tragedy like this occurs, young children can feel confused or frightened. They will naturally look to adults for information and guidance on how to react.

How the School is Responding

Our priority is to help children by establishing a sense of safety and security. We understand that for many children, they will be aware of the event but will not be impacted by it. However, recognising the significance of the event, we want to inform you about the steps we are taking as a school community.

• Safety and Routine: We are maintaining a structured and stable environment within the school. Staying in a normal routine with friends and teachers helps children regain a sense of normality.

• Emotional Support: Our school staff will be available to speak with any students who need additional support or ask questions.

How You Can Help at Home

• Model Calm: Children take their emotional cues from the significant adults in their lives. Try to avoid appearing anxious or frightened, but it is okay to let your children know you are sad. You will be better able to support your child if you express your own emotions in a productive and calm manner.

• Remain Factual: Tell children the truth about the fire, but keep explanations developmentally appropriate. Do not embellish or speculate on what might happen next.

• Limit News Exposure: Restrict television and social media viewing of the event. Watching the same images repeatedly can be harmful. The news has been showing live streaming videos, which can contain disturbing images.

• Maintain Routines: Stick to your family's normal routine for dinner and bedtime as much as possible.

• Offer Comfort: Stay close to your children; they may want different ways to express their feelings, such as physical contact, creative activities, or longer bedtime routines.

• Validate Feelings: Acknowledge that it is okay to feel scared, worried, or sad, and think about ways you can help yourself feel better.

• Monitor Wellbeing: Watch for changes in behaviour, appetite, and sleep patterns, which can indicate anxiety. This can also mean your child is more withdrawn than usual.

If you have been directly affected by the fire, or if you notice your child showing anxiety or fear, please contact the school so we can support you and your family.

Kind regards,
Suzannah

Parents

I hope that you all had a great mid-term break and enjoyed the many wonderful activities that take place around Mid-Autumn Festival. It is such a magical time of year. As someone who has adopted Hong Kong as their home for more than a decade, it is a time of year that I look forward to immensely.

I wrote to you last after Super Typhon Ragasa had finally dissipated and moved on from us. It was an incredible few days, amongst a few months that have reminded us of the power and influence of Mother Nature.

I wanted to provide you with an update on what we have been doing since then. 

You will recall that I said that, in the face of what appears to be weather that is changing with each passing year, we were going to review areas such as how we deliver on-line learning. That work is progressing well and I hope to be in a position to let you know about the outcome in the coming weeks.

We have also taken this opportunity to broaden this work out. 

Our young people, your children, spend 500 weeks at school. This may sound like a lot but, as you know all too well, that time passes by at an incredibly fast pace. 

The key thing about those 500 weeks is, of course, that time only moves in one direction. We do not get the chance to go back and do things again. Every student has that set period of time in school - and it is our responsibility as teachers and leaders to make sure that we squeeze every bit of value out of every moment for every student.

While we have developed strong protocols for online learning - and these will be further strengthened by the work of our review - we all know that the optimal situation, for a whole host of reasons, is to have the students in school with their teachers and classmates.

So, we have decided that we need to look at ways in which we can both maximise the time our students have in school - and provide a consistent approach to areas that directly impact you, our families. So, we are going to be carrying out a review into the way in which we carry out activities such as the K2-Y1 transition and parent/teacher and three way conferences. 

Where we can streamline processes to get more time for our students to be in school, then that is what we will do.

We have also made a decision about the ESF-wide CPD day that is scheduled to take place towards the end of February. As you know, we place an incredible amount of importance in making sure that our staff have every opportunity to develop and enhance their skills. This is something that makes ESF stand out not just here in Hong Kong, but globally as well.

However, we recognise that this year has been truly exceptional in terms of the disruption we have faced due to the weather. In the past few months alone, there have been a total of eight days where our ability to conduct face-to-face learning has been disrupted for all or some of our schools. This is double what we saw last year.

So, in order to counter this exceptional situation, we are taking exceptional measures. The CPD day in February will revert back to being a teaching day - and our schools will be open to students. Your Principal will be in touch with you shortly to talk about the specifics of how that is going to happen. 

As always, I want to thank you for all of the support that you give to your school and to ESF. We are an exceptional organisation - and all of us know just how important the role that you play in helping us to do what we do: helping every student be the best that they can be.

Belinda Greer

Chief Executive Officer
English Schools Foundation 
 

Dear Parents, 

In line with the earlier message from our CEO, Belinda Greer, we will be making a change to the calendar. Monday, 23rd February, was originally scheduled as a professional learning day for staff, but will now be a school day. Children will be able to come to school as normal.  If you have already scheduled travel on that day, please let us know.

If you have any questions or comments about this change, please don't hesitate to contact me directly. 

Kind regards, 
Suzannah