Dear Parents and Students of Year 8,
I’m excited to welcome you to Year 8 at DBIS for the upcoming academic year, 2024–25.
My name is Mr Aaron Day, and I am the Head of Year 8. I am also a Psychology, PE, and Science teacher. I was formerly an Assistant Head of Lower School in Dubai, where I worked for five years. I am new to Hong Kong and look forward to supporting you throughout this exciting and challenging academic year. Year 8 will involve (I)GCSE Options, the Green Bird Award and a character-building Week Without Walls programme. With students adhering to our Ready, Respect, Sensible and Safe expectations, I have no doubt the year ahead will be fantastic.
I am joined by three fantastic form tutors. Mr Johnstone and Mr Le Feuvre continue in their roles with their respective form groups. We’re welcoming Ms Jones, who will be taking over from Ms Tyrrell, who is now the Head of Year 7. Below are a set of introductions the tutors wanted me to share with you.
8B – CJO – Ms Jones
I hope that you have enjoyed a relaxing summer and are looking forward to the return to school routine. I have lived in Hong Kong for over twenty years and while English literature is my passion, I have also worked as an English language, Humanities and Theory of Knowledge teacher in both local and international schools. This will be my fifth year at DBIS, and I am delighted to be returning to the role of form tutor. As an English teacher, I have high expectations of the students I teach and encourage my classes to take pride in their work and reflect on their efforts. As a form tutor for 8B, I would like to foster kindness and collaboration in our form and do all I can to ensure our students are content and can work towards their goals with confidence. We encourage all students to be responsible, independent and organised learners, but I would like your help to ensure that your child’s attendance and punctuality meet our expectations. Should you have any questions about your child’s progress, please do not hesitate to get in touch and I am more than happy to follow up with an email or phone call.
8D – BLF – Mr Le Feuvre
This is my second year at DBIS, and I am thrilled to be a year 8 form tutor. Many of you will know me from last year, when I was your child’s Year 7 form tutor. For those who don’t, my name is Mr Boris Le Feuvre, and I’m French. Before coming to Hong Kong, I lived and taught in Spain for two years, and before that, I spent 12 years living and seven years teaching in the UK. This year I will be teaching French, Learning for Life and Discovery. I am a very supportive form tutor, and I am committed to helping your children achieve their full potential. I am excited to see how they progress and decide on their (I)GCSE options this year. As always, do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns, and I will be happy to assist you.
8I – CRJ – Mr Johnstone
I am looking forward to building on the relationships we established as a group in year 7 and working with our students who are new to DBIS this year. This is my second year at DBIS, and I will be teaching Biology. When I’m not in the science lab, you’ll most likely find me on the football pitch, whether that’s playing against our Sixth Formers or coaching our football ECA.
Please take note of the below important dates for the term ahead:
10th September – Meet the Year 8 Team in The Globe Theatre – 6.15pm – 7.30pm.
10th & 11th September – Extended SLT interview with Year 8 students.
20th September – Aspirational SMART targets begin
25th September – Year 8 initial (I)GCSEÂ options open
2nd October – Year 8 initial (I)GCSE options close
16th October – Year 8 short reports published
31st October – Year 8 (I)GCSE Options evening – 6.15pm
11th to 15th November – Week Without Walls, involving a hike and overnight camp alongside activities that contribute towards the Green Bird in Action Award.
Some other key reminders for Year 8:
Uniform
We value our school uniform and the shared identity it creates in our school community. Students should wear the correct uniform at all times, including footwear. Details of our uniform requirements can be found HERE. If you have any questions about the suitability of an item, please contact your child’s tutor.
Absence and Punctuality to School
We would like all students to aim for high levels of attendance at school and would hope for all students to aim for at least 95% attendance in the academic year. If however, your child is unwell or unable to attend school, please complete the jotform on the DBIS Hub.
Student Diaries and Laptops
Students should bring their diary to each lesson and ensure that they are recording home learning and other important information such as 1:1 tutor meetings, which will begin soon. Parents and guardians should sign the diary each week. Laptops should be brought to school fully charged. Chromebooks can be borrowed from our IT department in cases where a student’s own device is under repair.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s tutor. We are very much looking forward to helping your child grow and flourish in this exciting new phase of their education.
Best wishes,
Mr Aaron Day – Head of Year 8