17 November
- For this Week
- Staff Christmas Social
- Hillside Impact Walks
- School Photos with Peter (26–27 November)
- ESF Photoshoot (Wednesday, 26 November)
- Ashley Benusa’s Visit (Wednesday)
- Aladdin Show @ Bradbury
- Maternity Cover Updates
- Class Parent Reps
- Staff Calendar
Morning everyone! There’s a lot happening. Thank you, everyone, for keeping the momentum high as we move through another productive fortnight.
- WIS work experience students this week, thank you team for supporting them!
- Monday: Literature Circle – 12:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: Ashley Benusa | Optional Lunch PD on Creative Movement – 12:10 p.m., K2 Shared Area
- Thursday: Teacher lunch meeting re: Community Play 12:15 @ staff room
Please note: The Impact Walk Meeting next week has been rescheduled to Wednesday due to a timetable conflict.
We’ve received special approval from ESFC to proceed with our staff Christmas social as planned, including alcohol. This exception was granted because the policy changes around alcohol at ESF functions were only recently formulated, and it is understandable that it would be difficult to make adjustments already planned.
Please note that this approval comes with a strong reminder about maintaining professional behaviour and representing ESF positively at all times. This continues to be an important expectation for any staff‑organised event.
Looking forward to a well‑deserved evening together and a lovely way to wrap up the term! 🎄🥂
A gentle reminder to complete your Internal Impact Walk during your non-contact time over the next few days. Our focus this round is on self‑regulation and executive functioning in action — noticing how children manage impulses, follow routines from memory, and shift between activities or spaces.
Please take a copy of the simplified See–Think–Wonder sheet with you. Only short notes or key observations are needed — the goal is to notice and reflect, not evaluate.
For those EAs who expressed interest in joining the walk together, we’ve arranged some cover on Monday, 17 November.
| 9:00–9:30 am | Marie |
| 9:30–10:00 am | Hollie |
| 10:15–10:45 am | Vicky |
| 10:45–11:15 am | Winni |
| 1:15–1:45 pm | Jill |
| 1:45–2:15 pm | Joyce |
| 2:30–3:00 pm | Valentina |
We’ll share our notes and reflections at the Staff Meeting on Wednesday, 26 November to highlight key takeaways and identify effective strategies that support self‑regulation across our classes.
Photo days are coming up soon. Don’t forget to have your individual staff photo taken — we’ll use these for internal purposes such as our induction website for new K1s and K2s.
Please check the Photo Day Schedule and let us know if you have any clashes. Floaters will help with ushering small groups down to the resource room.
If there’s anything from last year’s setup that didn’t work well, please share your feedback so we can make improvements this year.
Schedule:
- Wednesday, 26 November – All K1 classes
- Thursday, 27 November – All K2 classes
Parents will be able to view proofs online once available.
We strive to schedule all photos and screenings well in advance to minimize any conflicts. However, the services we collaborate with have had to reschedule due to other business commitments. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility in this matter, and we assure you that we always do our best to accommodate everyone. Thank you for your continued support!
Coincidentally, the ESF Marketing Team will be on campus that same morning. Barbara will assist them as they move around for photos.
These photos may be used for internal and external purposes, including celebrating school highlights, professional development materials, campus visuals, and ESF communications.
Please do not wear name badges that morning. We have eight no-photo-consent children, so we will provide them with a special sticker to help staff identify them.
We’re delighted to have Ashley Benusa, the BHS music teacher (and one of our parents), visiting on Wednesday to share her expertise.
- Ashley has designed music activities that strengthen executive functioning skills — such as working memory, inhibition, shifting attention, and rhythm awareness (part of the RAMSR approach).
- This will help connect the theory and practice of supporting self‑regulation through music.
- Colleagues from other kindergartens will also be observing Ashley as part of their CPD — thank you for welcoming them.
- Ashley will also lead an optional lunch PD on Creative Movement at 12:10 p.m. in the K2 Shared Area. These activities are perfect for classroom music & movement or Open Play stations.
All classes are invited to Bradbury School Hall for their dress rehearsal of “Aladdin” on Tuesday, 25 November at:
- AM: 9:15 a.m.
- PM: 1:30 p.m.
Directions:
Use the back staircase corridor leading to Bradbury’s undercover area; take the stairs up, through the lobby, and into the school hall.
Things to Note:
- Floor seating for all classes. K1s sit in the front, K2s behind them. Hence, K1 classes, please head to Bradbury a little earlier so foot traffic flows more smoothly.
- Photos of our Hillside children watching are permitted, but please do not photograph or share any of the Bradbury production
- Bring your class contact list for emergency purposes
Last year’s K1s had a wonderful time, and Bradbury is excited to share their performance with our whole community again this year.
We’ve completed recruitment for Jill’s maternity cover — welcome to Caroline Reynon, who joins us with extensive experience as a Nursery Teacher in the UK and as a Teaching Assistant at Kellett School, Hong Kong.
Recruitment for Juliet’s maternity cover is still in progress, with interviews continuing next week.
We held our first Class Parent meeting on Monday with an enthusiastic group of volunteers ready to support us this year, particularly in areas such as learning and community events.
If you need assistance for your class (e.g. special projects, sourcing materials, or recruiting volunteers), please reach out to your Class Parent helpers. Their contact details are listed in the attached Class Parent Contact List.
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 2025/26 Calendar.
Thank you!
