23 February

  • For this Week
  • Playground Update
  • Online Learning – Updated ESF Guidance
  • Upcoming IWD Event
  • Upcoming PD Opportunities
  • Staff Calendar

Morning all, and happy Year of the Horse! 🧧

I hope everyone had a restful holiday and is feeling refreshed for the weeks ahead.

For This Week

Tuesday: Staff Meeting
Thursday: Enhanced Transition Team Meetings – K2

Playground Update

FDD has confirmed that removing the large steps is not feasible. The structure forms part of our approved building plans and is registered with the Buildings Department, so changes involve significant regulatory and structural considerations.

We are currently awaiting an FDD proposal to secure the structure and enhance safety. In the meantime, I would still welcome us thinking creatively about how we can optimise and enhance the space we have.

Online Learning – Updated ESF Guidance

There is new ESF guidance linked to the Inclement Weather Policy.

If the Observatory hoists an inclement weather signal before the start of the school day, and that signal results in the closure of one or more school phases, ESF will activate work‑from‑home (WFH) arrangements for affected schools. The purpose is to:

  • Ensure continuity of learning
  • Keep staff and students safe

It is important to take laptops home during periods of heavy rain or when rain warnings are issued. Please refer to the ESF Inclement Weather Policy for clarification on school closure and WFH arrangements.

I will also share the collective expectations for online learning during inclement weather closures.

Upcoming IWD Event

Bodies in Motion: A Holistic Dialogue on Movement, Menstruation, and Mindset

12 March 2026 (Thursday) | 4.30–6.00pm | ESFC
Quota: 50 participants (open to all staff)

Join Olivia Cotes-James,  Steph Ng, Ph.D. and Ziggy Makant, moderated by Hope (ESFC), for a holistic dialogue equipping educators with confidence and judgement‑free strategies to navigate conversations about bodies, puberty, periods and hormones.

🌟 Empowering conversations
How to talk to teenagers and colleagues about changing bodies, menstrual health and body image with professional confidence.

🍀 Actionable tips and tools
How school and physical spaces can better accommodate the needs of a diverse community.

🔗 Register here: https://forms.gle/vM9yzKR15NNUsLMB6

If you have any access requirements, please contact:
Hope Wong (hope.wong@esfcentre.edu.hk)
Angela Yam (angela.yam@esfcentre.edu.hk)


Upcoming PD Opportunities

Play Conference: The Experience Gap: Are Our Kids Experiencing the World or Just Watching It?
Mar 9-12, free online sessions

Focus areas:

  • Identifying whether challenges stem from limited exposure vs. developmental delay
  • Interpreting development in today’s screen‑shaped childhood

The Seed Teacher Summit
Mar 10-12, free online sessions

Focus areas:

  • Decoding behaviour through regulation, development and the nervous system needs
  • Supporting anxious, dysregulated and aggressive behaviour
  • Creating equitable classrooms where all children can access learning

Sign up here.

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!