24 March

  • For this Week
  • Key Headlines from Last Week's Lunch Meeting
  • UPDATED: Term 2 PRD Check-ins (EAs this week) 
  • Hillside Early Years Learning Walk
  • Staff Calendar

Morning everyone!

For this Week

Monday: QBS K2-Y1 Transition Visit

Tuesday: Teacher Lunch Meeting (everyone welcome)

Thursday: TCK teacher visits (PM)

Friday: HS Alum Natalie Lam | CWBS K2-Y1 Transition Visit


Key Headlines from Last Week's Lunch Meeting

K1/K2 Learning Walks are coming soon, with a focus on transition and the continuum of learning.


For outdoor play, we’ll be emphasising the mastery of skills through a monthly rotation of core gross motor skills. This includes teaching the children how to fall on hands & knees and climb safely. Please discourage children from holding onto items outside, such as home toys or drawings, while running or playing outside for their safety.


Honouring Times

  • For community play - EAs, please ensure you’re outside by 10:15 AM/2:30 PM. K1 children can follow immediately, and K2 children should come out a few minutes later to prevent bottlenecks on the stairway.

  • For home time, EAs should start collecting children at 11:35 AM/3:50 PM.


Community Play Update - We will trial a static construction area in the undercover space, which can be various types of block or construction play. We want to keep the mud kitchen and add a water play area (we can connect a pipe to drain the water), so please bring any suggestions to our next planning session.


Weather Check - Each year group will have their own system in place for sending someone to check the "dry/wet" status before outdoor play.


Google Chat - It’ll be official starting in Term 3 (on 22 April). We will be ripping the Whatsapp Groups off like a bandage.


UPDATED: Term 2 PRD Check-ins (EAs this week) 

Laura and Brenda will be meeting EAs this week. Please check your time slot here, we will meet in the office and a floater will come to your class to cover you. In advance, please have a think about the following reflection questions:

  • What key accomplishments or progress do you wish to highlight?

  • What helps you feel connected with ESF?

  • What are the biggest challenges you are facing at work this year? What would you like to take on in the coming months?


Hillside Early Years Learning Walk

Last week, we hosted colleagues from Beacon Hill School and Tsing Yi Kindergarten for an early years learning walk. This visit was a crucial step in our ongoing journey towards a shared vision for play-based learning across ESF, from K1 to Y2. Thank you for your flexibility in accommodating our visitors. Your hard work and dedication in the day-to-day teaching and learning were evident and greatly appreciated.


Our visitors were deeply impressed by what they observed. Common threads in their feedback included:

  • Confident and friendly children: children asked for visitors’ names; they could articulate their learning and guide visitors through the various classroom areas

  • Strong student voice: the diverse and individualized learning engagements, are reflected in classroom documentation and wonder walls; each classroom was unique, highlighting how educators are using student voice to drive learning

  • Classroom activities showed strong links to math and literacy outcomes

  • Ample time for uninterrupted play, which is an important component of the Pedagogy of Play

  • The use of space and materials provided lots of opportunities for collaborative play and peer-teaching; the multi-use of small spaces was noted as a strength i.e. book corner also served as a calm-down area with self-regulation tools

  • Engaged and responsive educators: visitors commended the adults' presence, skillful questioning, and ability to know when to step back and allow children to lead their own learning

Our visitors also shared some thoughtful wonderings, which provide valuable points for reflection:

  • How might we track the children during Community Play? I.e. level of access, progress, etc.

  • There seems to be a lot of children sitting down for snack during Community Play, what opportunities might there be for reconfiguration so they have increased access and time to Community Play? 


Once again, thank you for all that you do. Hillside’s participation in the EY learning walks contributes to ESF’s shared vision for continuity of learning through a pedagogy of play.

Upcoming Dates
Please check our internal calendar below. We might forget to remind everyone of odd dates. We will continue to add events as soon as they're confirmed. Here's the full 2024/25 Calendar and DRAFT 2025/26 Calendar.

Thank you!