26 May

  • For this Week
  • K1 to K2 Transition
  • EY Strategy Update
  • Workday – Now Live
  • Committee of Teachers – Key Updates
  • SCRC Renewal Reminder
  • Staff Calendar

Morning all, I know many of you are eager to hear about next year’s teams. We’re still waiting on a few key pieces of information and are carefully considering the balance of strengths across the school. Thank you for your patience as we work to finalise this.

I appreciate your patience as there are lots happening behind the scenes as we prepare for both transitions and the year ahead.

For Next Week

Tuesday: Lunch Staff Meeting
Wednesday: Teacher Meeting (continuums & outdoor planning)
Thursday: Bradbury Music Performance (K1 9:15) || Literature Circle @ Lunch
Friday: ESF Wide K2 to Y1 Transition Day || Bradbury Music Performance (K1 13:30)

K1 to K2 Transition

As in previous years, we will:

  • Split K1 classes and regroup into new K2 classes
  • Aim to balance needs and personalities

Timeline:

  • First week of June: Class groupings finalised + teacher handovers
  • K2 teachers will join any IEP meetings where relevant

Transition Day:

  • Friday, 12 June
  • Children will wear their new K2 class stickers
  • Children not returning will receive an alternative sticker so they feel included

If you have any reflections or suggestions from last year, please share.

EY Strategy Update

You may have heard some early messaging about an upcoming EY Strategy Launch.

There have been a number of developments across ESF kindergartens, alongside ongoing conversations about:

  • Strengthening links with primary schools
  • Expanding the through-train model

This aligns with our work with Bradbury Primary School, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen this — particularly around curriculum alignment and professional learning. Skye is very keen to deepen this collaboration.

Belinda's filming on Friday links to this, where she will be sharing ESF’s Associated School Model. Further communication will be released in early June, including:

  • A clear overview of the model
  • Updated website and social media messaging
  • Visual pathways showing student journeys from kindergarten through to secondary

Important:
A test page was briefly made public in error. There are no changes affecting current families, and any future admissions updates will be clearly communicated.

If parents ask during PTCs, please direct them to:

  • ESF Admissions Team, or
  • Our admin team
Workday – Now Live

Workday is now your central platform for:

  • Personal information
  • Leave requests and tracking
  • Payslips: Use your HKID (no brackets) as the password. e.g. A123456(7) → A1234567

If you haven’t already, please take 5 minutes to:

  • Log in via Assembly Single Sign On (SSO)
  • Download the Workday app
  • Check your details

Let us know if you notice any issues.

Committee of Teachers – Key Updates


Summary from Brenda following the last meeting:

  • Use of Personal Devices for Work
    Cranston Chan (Head of IT) detailed the security measures (Cortex antivirus, SOC monitoring) that protect school-issued devices, which are largely absent on personal devices when off the school network. Kindergarten staff were specifically advised to avoid storing significant personal data on their work-issued iPads.

  • AI-Assisted Grading (Toddle)
    Josh Blue and John Turner led a feedback session to gather insights on a drafted AI grading guideline, specifically focusing on how to keep the "human part" at the centre of the process.

  • Professional Learning (PL) Days (Oct 2026 & Feb 2027)
    26 October 2026 PL Day: Planning is in progress. Opportunities will also be explored for Educational Assistants (EAs).

  • 15 February 2027 PL Day: The day will be themed around Belonging, Engagement, and Personalisation. Staff will be invited to submit proposals to lead workshops. Facilitator training will run in November to support those selected to present.


SCRC Renewal Reminder

If you receive an SMS from Hong Kong Police:

  1. Book your appointment following the SMS instructions
  2. Complete the General Expenses Claim Form (ESF)
  3. Email to ESF Centre HR:
    • Receipt
    • Completed claim form
    • Updated SCRC result

HR will be coordinating a large renewal process and will keep everyone updated.

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!