Year 7 – Head of Year Welcome

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

 

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to all Year 7 parents and students. I’m sure this is both an exciting and nerve-racking time for all involved as your sons and daughters embark on the next stage of their educational journey. 

 

For those of you that do not know me, I am a science teacher specialising in biology, and this is my second year as Head of Year 7. I moved to Hong Kong from London three years ago with my now husband. I hold M.SCi Genetics from the University of Glasgow as well as postgraduate qualifications in Forensic Chemistry and Education. I came to teaching through the Teach First program in the UK, working in schools in Liverpool and London as Head of Science. Hong Kong is a truly unique place to live and I have enjoyed spending the last three years exploring many of the great things it has to offer.

 

I am proud to lead the new Year 7 tutor team who have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure a smooth transition to secondary school for your sons and daughters. The beginning of this new academic year is vastly different for all students at DBIS but particularly for the Year 7s who not only have to get to grips with online schooling but also navigate this in the new and unfamiliar setting of secondary school. Supporting your sons and daughters through this extraordinary transition is at the forefront of our minds. 

 

Undoubtedly both parents and students will have many questions in the initial weeks of term; the Year 7 tutors should be the first point of contact for any concerns or issues you may have, both in the weeks ahead and throughout the course of the year. Their contact details are listed below for your reference. 

 

Year 7 Tutors

 

During the extended tutor time session which took place on Thursday morning, the Year 7 tutors set out the online learning expectations for students, which are as follows:

  • The workspace should be somewhere quiet and preferably free from distractions 
  • Devices should be turned off
  • Students should wear appropriate attire – no PJ’s/swimwear
  • The microphone should be off and camera on when you enter the Meet
  • The background should be neutral – no identifiable pictures

 

In addition, we encourage parents to support online learning at home by: 

  • Ensuring students are getting adequate sleep each night
  • Ensuring students are eating appropriately and drinking adequate amounts of water
  • Ensuring students are familiar with their timetables – visible on google calendars
  • Ensuring students know how to access their lessons via Meet
  • Each day ask your students what they have learned – have conversations about their learning
  • Help provide a distraction-free environment in the house

 

We hope the Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences helped to address any questions you had about the logistics of online learning and you were able to spend some time helping your child familiarise themselves with their new timetable on Google Calendar. There were a number of questions raised about various things related to secondary during these sessions, which I have clarified below for the benefit of all. 

 

Homework 

Year 7 will not be set for any homework during the first four weeks of term. This is to allow time for students to feel confident with the systems and expectations in place. The expectation is that students complete all work set in lessons, however, there may be some circumstances where this is not the case and work must be finished outside of lesson time. 

 

Reading Books

Once a week during tutor time students will have a silent reading session, therefore students are expected to have a reading book. Secondary students are still able to borrow books from the library during school closures by clicking HERE. 

Please support your child’s progress in reading by asking questions about the books they read home and reading alongside them for pleasure.

 

Attendance and Absence 

We expect 100% attendance at school, including online learning. Registers will be taken at the start of every lesson and attendance monitored. Should your son or daughter be absent for any reason please complete the Student Absence from School During Term Time. 

 

Key Dates 

  • Transition Reports – 29th September 2020
  • Short Reports with tutor comments – 24th November 2020
  • Strength & Target Reports – 22nd March 2021
  • Parent-Teacher-Student Conference – 24th March 2021
  • Strength & Target Reports – 22nd June 2021

 

I know this is not the start to secondary school you envisaged for your child and it is certainly not the start to the year I had hoped for, however, rest assured that we are doing all we can to ensure this is a positive experience for your child. 

 

I look forward to working with you all over the coming academic year. 

 

Best wishes,

Morag Armstrong

Head of Year 7

[email protected]

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