Hillside Return to School Plans

Dear Parents

Following the EDB’s announcement last week, we have been working on our Return to School plan and have since submitted it for approval. We have been waiting eagerly to inform our parent community of our plans, and today is the day! 

We will have a soft opening on 16 September, bringing in ⅙ of our total student population on campus for a short orientation session each day. These are considered as ‘special events’ for a short period of time as a form of orientation. These shortened sessions will include time in between sessions for disinfection. The timings are also staggered to avoid overcrowding at the school entrance.

Each child will have an opportunity to visit twice before we are officially permitted back on 29 September. During 16 – 25 September, we will only have approximately ⅙ of the student population on-site at a given time. There will be only one class group on each teaching floor, for example, one K2 class + ½  K1 class, on each floor respectively. You will receive your child’s return timetable in a separate email.

Important points to note:

• Complete the health declaration via ESF App by 14 September.
• Complete daily temperature checks via the ESF App. There will be another temperature check upon arrival. Any child with a temperature of 37.5℃ or above must be kept home or sent home and we recommend you seek medical advice.
• Do not arrive too early to avoid overcrowding at the school entrance. Please refer to your child’s timetable for specific times.
• Surgical face masks are required at all times on school premises. Please prepare spare masks as children might easily misplace them.
• For new/ K1 families: to avoid overcrowding, we request only one (1) ‘familiar adult’ to stay with each child during the orientation sessions.
• Please ensure there is someone to drop-off and collect your child at the end of the orientation session. Bus service will commence on 5 Oct for K1s. On this note, we have been in touch with the bus company to discuss health & safety protocols, and they will be sharing their plans with parents in due course.
• Health & Safety 1, 2, 3s: 1) Face masks on at all time; 2) Handwashing between class transitions; 3) Avoid overcrowding.
• Please ensure your child has a proper breakfast or lunch before coming to school to minimise the need for a snack. Hence, snack time will be optional, mainly for those children who travel long distances to and from kindergarten. This will take place in one designated area, with dividers set up, on each floor, under the supervision and assistance of school staff.
• Similarly, water breaks throughout will be under the supervision and assistance of school staff.
• Please ensure to inform us as soon as possible of any absences*. This can be done via the ESF app, please see below.
• If you drive your children to school, please be reminded not to park in front of the Hillside or Bradbury exit gates. Please keep in mind of parking etiquettes and that we are in a school zone. Be swift and no unnecessary honking. Parking is always going to be problematic given our location and limitations on Stubbs Road, and we thank you in advance for your cooperation with this request.

* Parents are urged to report to us immediately if your child is found to be under the following 2 conditions to facilitate the implementation of contingency measures: (i) Being a confirmed case of COVID-19; (ii) Being classified as a “close contact” of an infected person with COVID19. Once verified, CHP will advise the school with a confirmed case to suspend on-campus teaching and activities for 14 days.

ESF App Transition

In preparation for the return to school. We encourage parents to download the ESF App (IOS, Google Play) as soon as possible. Parent Guide HERE. The main purpose of the App is to:

• Record daily temperature checks at home (Under the ‘Hillside Hub’ button);
• Health declarations (Under the ‘Hillside Hub’ button, please complete by 14 September);
• Permissions and opt-in notices such as the ESF Relief Grant;
• Report absences;
• Contact the bus company;
• Communicate messages in the quickest possible time frame to class groups, year groups and the whole school;
• Link you to your child’s portfolio;
• Link you to the school website for any additional information you need.

We will progressively add links to enhance the use of the app. However, the best way to communicate 1:1 with your child’s teacher remains a normal email. For any urgent messages, the best way is to call us on 2540 0066.

As previously mentioned, our priority is to maximise safety, wellbeing and learning, and our plans have to be compliant with EDB/CHP guidelines. We hope the details in this plan are clear and a separate email will be sent with your child’s specific staggered schedule return details.  If you have any questions or concerns or would like to discuss any aspect of the plan for your child’s return to Hillside, please do not hesitate to contact us on kinder@hillside.edu.hk 

We are delighted that we will soon be welcoming your children back to school!

Thank you and warm regards
Audrey and the Hillside Team