This is the schedule for each year group from Wednesday 16 to Monday 28 September. From 29 September onwards, we will all be in school until midday.
Unfortunately the EDB would not allow us to have 66% of the students on 23 September. We had wanted to have all Year 3-6 all coming in for 2 days but we were not allowed. Please note that some ESF Primary Schools were only allowed 50% for the 4 days from 23-28 September so what we have is actually a bonus.
Please note we are updating our Return To School website and will be sharing this with the school community early next week. This will act as a great resource as it will allow you to sit down with your child/ren and go through what it will be like for the children to return. There will be lots of photos etc so the children can picture what it will look like also.
Can you guarantee my child will be completely safe at school from Covid?
No, we can’t give that assurance as it is impossible. I can assure you that we are following the EDB and CHP requirements and are taking all the necessary steps to reduce the risk as much as possible. Reduce the risk, but not eliminate it entirely owing to the fact that Covid has proven very difficult to manage. The EDB and the CHP would not approve our plan if they did not feel we are ready and prepared.
How do the children socially distance with all 30 in a classroom?
We have set up the classrooms so that all the tables and chairs face the same way – meaning all the children are facing the same way as well. There are only 2 children to a desk and a plastic divider is placed between them on the table. Children will be reminded to ensure they are sitting at both ends of the table so that they do not meet in the middle. We are only using rectangular tables and there will be a divider placed on every table. The chairs are approximately 1m apart. Children won’t be able to work in groups and for the next few weeks. They will be sitting in what you and I would call “traditional” classroom settings, you may want to share your experiences of sitting in rows etc if you were part of this traditional set up.
How are you taking the temperature of all 360 children in the morning?
We are in the process of purchasing a thermal camera and we will place this at the entrance to the school building (opposite 2F in the hallway of the building) and the children will be scanned as they enter the building. The system does not work outside hence why it is being placed in the hallway of the school. Children will enter via the appropriate school gate and then line up in the lower playground. We will be letting children into the building, via one door only and the camera will take the temperature of everyone who enters. It will alert us should someone have an elevated temperature. It has the ability to scan 10 people at once but our children will be in single file as they enter, 1m apart.
If we decide to keep our child at home or we are currently based overseas, will there be distance learning provided for us?
No and Yes.
No – we will not be providing any distance learning provision from 8.30-12.00 from September 29 onwards. We are officially open and our focus is on the children in school.
Yes – we will be providing distance learning provision each day from 1.30pm – 3.00pm meaning all children can be involved.
Do the children still need to wear masks?
Yes, the children must come to school wearing a mask and keep it on until they get home in the afternoon. Please send 2 extra masks with your child to ensure they do not run out during the day. We have some spares, just in case. All adults, including staff, will also be expected to wear masks whilst on the school campus.
Will my child get to go outside and run around?
Yes, each year group will have 15 mins each day on the upper playground once they have eaten their snack. We know and appreciate the importance of children getting exercise. Classes will be assigned a segment of the upper playground each and no more than 4 classrooms will be on the upper playground.
Do we have to fill in a Health Declaration for our child/ren like last time?
Yes, and you should receive an email from ESFC today (Friday 11 September) with instructions on how to do this. This time parents will be able to fill it in the Health declaration for their child or children via the App. I believe the deadline to have this filled in will be early next week.
Do we still need to take our child’s temperature in the morning and record it?
Yes, again ESFC will communicate how to do this. They are making it so that you can do this via the App rather than writing it down on a piece of paper. More information about this will be sent out early next week from ESFC.
Can Parents enter the Campus?
Only in the afternoon, for those parents who need to pick up their child from the lower playground at the end of the school day. You are welcome to enter the office foyer and talk to the office team but we respectfully ask all parents not to enter the school campus.
When will the buses start?
The buses are starting on September 23. This is the first day where at least 50% of our children will be coming to school.
When can I drop my child off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon?
Bus children will be arriving from 8.05-8.20 and will be departing between 12.00-12.15.
We ask all parents who walk their children to school or drop them off via car/taxi to arrive in the morning from 8.20 – 8.35
In the afternoon, parents who are picking up their child can all meet in the lower playground from 12.15pm onwards. Please stand on a spot and have your child come to you.
When can we pick up the Uniforms that we ordered through the discount store?
September 29 – the day all children come to school
My child does not have any uniform or what we do have no longer fits. What do we do?
We will not be strict on the uniform for the first couple of weeks or so meaning that children can come into school wearing casual clothing until you have been able to get the new uniform items. The Year 1 children still need to have their fitting day so until that happens many Year 1 children will also be coming in casual clothing. Please order the uniform as soon as you can, once school has started (or before if you know the sizing) as we do not want to be in a position where children are still out of uniform come end of October.
What is the likely model again before everyone comes back on September 29?
The following two tables are likely to be what the EDB agree to based on our discussions but this is subject to approval
As per Belinda Greer’s message sent to you yesterday (Tuesday), families will be able to ‘opt in’ to receive a grant, which is calculated as 45% of one month’s tuition.
The ‘opt in’ process will all be done through the ESF/PS App. Please click here for instructions to apply.
Deadline is Tuesday 22nd September.
Return To School Model
As most of you know we ran with a return to school model last year where 50% of our children were in school and 50% were learning via distance learning. We called it the 100% learning, 50% in school model.
This model is being adapted by all ESF Primary Schools.
Our priority is to maximise the face-to-face learning experience for every student. Once the phased return to school is complete (September 29), we will have 100% of students at school five days a week from 8.30-12.00.
This is different to the model last year, where only 50% of students were at school at any one time. Classrooms will be configured and steps have been taken to enable students to learn together safely.
The strict distancing guidelines means that our school cannot accommodate 100% of students eating lunch at the same time (or even within a two hour period). That is why our students will return home for lunch after a full morning of lessons and continue their afternoon lessons online.
This model is a combination of at-school learning and teacher-led ‘connected learning’. It will definitely be a full day of school, just held in two locations, to keep students safe.
100% of the children are in school each day until 12.00pm. The children then return home, have lunch, a wellness break and then continue their learning via distance learning until 3pm. We feel we can do this safely and it is in the best interests of everyone involved. The children will not be eating lunch at school.
We will be following the new EDB and CHP guidelines ensuring our children and staff are kept safe. We are introducing dividers which will sit between each student as they are working at their table. All children will be in rows and facing the same way.
During this phase EDB is allowing Schools to have a small number of children in each day for assessments, induction and orientation. Peak School, along with all the other ESF Primary Schools are using these days to have our Year 1 children come to school.
Specific details regarding the arrival and departure arrangements will be sent to our Year 1 parents by the end of this week. Buses will not be running during Phase 1.
We will have either 3 or 4 x Year groups in each day during this period. As a school we want 4 year levels (66%) but EDB is saying at this stage we can only up to 50% in (3 year levels max per day). We are negotiating with them, as a Foundation, in the hope we can have 66% in from September 23-September 28. We will confirm this as soon as we can.
From our discussions, it would seem that the model directly above – 50%, is the most likely model we will be able to run with.
Buses will be running during Phase 2 regardless of whether we have 3 or 4 year groups coming in during this time.
All year levels in – 100% of children in school until 12.00 each day. Afternoon session via distance learning provision.
To summarise, subject to EDB approval, all 360 children will come to school daily from September 29 onwards. Children will come to school until 12.00pm and then go home for lunch, a break and then continue their learning via our distance learning provision.
This is all very exciting and we cannot wait to have the children back and I know you and your children feel the same way.
There will be a staggered start to keep our children and adults safe.
Buses will arrive at school between 8.05am and 8.20am and the bus children will enter the school premises during these times.
Children being dropped off by car or walkers are being asked to arrive between 8.20am-8.35am so that we do not have to manage all 360 children arriving at the same time. This is for the safety of everyone involved.
All students will enter the school through the main gate (upper playground gate will be closed). Upon entry to the main gate, there will be hand sanitiser dispensers next to the second internal gates. Students are expected to put hand sanitiser prior to entering the premises.
From the main gate, there are three smaller gates, which will be assigned to specific year groups:
Gate 1 for Years 5 and 6
Gate 2 for Years 3 and 4
Gate 3 for Years 1 and 2
These gates lead to the lower playground. Upon entering the lower playground, there are markers spaced a meter apart to guide students in following the path to their year group’s registration table and also to remind them to stand a meter apart from each other.
At the end of each school day, students will be escorted from their learning areas by an adult, where appropriate, ensuring proper social distancing, and safely placed on their school bus or to their parent/ guardian for pick up.
Bus children will leave from 12.00pm and children being picked up by parents and/or car can be picked up by their parents at 12.15pm (once the buses have departed) from the lower playground area.
Please note that the lower playground is our only pick up point for children walking or being picked up by car. Unlike last year, we are not using the hall area.
Adults, picking up their children, are asked to stand on a spot/marker in the lower playground and the child/ren will come to you.
We have measured and adjusted the layout of all of our learning spaces across the school (classrooms and specialist areas) to ensure compliance with safety and distancing requirements, including the use of plastic screen dividers on each table.
Deep cleaning and disinfection of the entire school campus will be completed prior to resuming classes on site. This cleaning and disinfection will be completed in accordance with advice issued by CHP.
In addition to this initial work, our site staff have been allocated to undertake hourly, daily and weekly cleaning and regular disinfection across our campus throughout the day and also between days (after hours).
Like last time we reopened, we have implemented a “one-way” transition for school movement. This will ensure that our students do not pass each other in staircases or hallways and will allow us to maintain social distancing as much as possible.
Students using bathrooms will be allowed to do so in small numbers at any one time, to ensure social distancing.
During the COVID19 pandemic, as a school, we have been discussing the critical need for good personal hygiene with our students. This will continue through daily reminders by staff and ongoing supervision of our students.
We have also downloaded and printed posters from the CHP website promoting good personal hygiene. These have been posted in classrooms, toilets and common areas across our campus.
Prior to sending your child to school, all parents have completed the student health declaration as directed by EDB. This will be done via our ESF/PS App.
Any student for whom the declaration has not been completed, or they have symptoms and/ or recent travel, will not be allowed onto the school grounds until they have recovered and/ or completed the necessary quarantine.
A face mask must be worn at all times whilst travelling on the school bus or on campus. Students will bring their own face masks to school each day. All staff and visitors will also wear face masks.
In accordance with EDB/ CHP requirements, we have implemented 2 forms of temperature checking:
At home:
Parents have been instructed to check and record down their child’s temperature each day in a standard format and captured on our ESF App. This record will be checked on campus to ensure compliance by parents.
At arrival to school:
The temperature of all students, staff and visitors will be checked upon arrival at school. Any staff or student with an elevated temperature will be isolated in our nurses, as needed, until they can be picked up and safely returned home to receive medical treatment as needed.
Please send any questions to office@peakschool.edu.hk and we will do our best to answer them, via future communications we send out to everyone (FAQs).