Year 6 Bulletin #1 - Renaissance College

UOI #1 SEPTEMBER 2012
YEAR 6 BULLETIN
Welcome to the very first Year 6 Bulletin
of the RCHK 2012-2013 academic year!
The purpose of this Bulletin is to keep you
informed of events and issues concerning
all Year 6 students and parents. The
school website (www.renaissance.edu.hk)
and school-wide newsletters are two other
excellent ways to keep abreast of what is
going on in the RCHK community.
The Year 6 teaching team for the
2012-2013 academic year is:
6 MH – Mike Hogg
6 CB - Chrissy Bailey
6 HM – Helen Morris
6 DB – Dawn Brews
6 JF – Joe Fahy
6 CV – Concettina Ventura
We are all delighted to be working with
your children this year and look forward to
meeting you in the near future.
Year 6 1:1 Laptop Programme
We are all very excited to begin the 1:1 laptop
programme in Year 6.
Important Information regarding the 1
to 1 laptop launch.
1.) All students buying a new laptop
from the school will receive it on the
14th September.
2.) Students who have had their laptops
purchased outside of school are asked
to bring them in on the 10th of
September for software installations.
3.) Parents are invited into school from
1pm on Tuesday 18th September to
attend the Generation Safe Workshop
completed by the students.
Mr Mike Hogg
Year 6 Coordinator
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
We have planned an ‘Education Outside of The Classroom’ (EOTC) programme for
all Y6 students. This will be a 2 night, 3 day experiential learning and outdoor
education camp run by ‘Treasure Island’ on Lantau Island. This links closely to the
Year 6 unit ‘Biodiversity’ where the students will be involved in learning
engagements that identify the fragile balance within a habitat.
We will be attending the outdoor education camp on November 28th, 29th and 30th.
The cost for the 3 days and 2 nights, including food (apart from a packed lunch on
the first day), accommodation, Insurance and activities will be $1950 HKD. A
separate deduction will be made by the school e-payment system to cover transport
costs.

Dates to
Remember
6MH - MIKE HOGG
Y6 COORDINATOR
This academic year will be my 4th year at
Renaissance College and living in Hong
Kong. As my role as Year level coordinator, I
look forward to working closely with parents
and caregivers to ensure a supportive
framework from which the students can fulfill
their potential. I have thoroughly enjoyed the
first few weeks of school, getting to know the
students and parents in Year 6. I look forward
to many highlights this year, particularly the
annual Year 6 exhibition in May.
mhogg@rchk.edu.hk
Friday 7th September
Year 6’s first band session
and concert - 2.30pm in
AB604
Friday 14th September
1 to 1 laptop launch in
Year 6
Friday 28th September
Teacher professional
development. (No school
for students)
Monday 1st, Tuesday
2nd October
Public holiday
October 19th
Annual Terry Fox Run
October 22nd - 26th
October holiday
6 CV - CONCETTINA VENTURA
Ciao everyone! I can already see that this
will be another exciting year for me working
alongside an excellent Year 6 team and
some truly inspiring and motivated students.
The class is settling in well, we have
established routines and essential
agreements and are getting to know one
another through various learning
engagements where collaboration is key. I
look forward to seeing all the amazing action
the students will take during the Exhibition
and how this will change them forever. This
year I am also teaching Italian to some lucky
Year 5 students!
venturac1@rchk.edu.hk
6CB - CHRISSY BAILEY
My name is Chrissy Bailey and this is my
first year here at RCHK. I am neither new
to teaching nor to Hong Kong though as
for the last 3 years I have been teaching at
another school in Hong Kong and before
that I taught in New Zealand for 4 years. I
look forward to working closely with all the
Year 6 students, teachers and parents as I
think Year 6 is the best year ever! Please
email me if I can be of any assistance at
any point.
bailec1@rchk.edu.hk

6HM - HELEN MORRIS
Greetings to you all! Everyone in 6HM has
had an excellent start to this important
academic year. Our class slogan is, '6HM -
individually unique, together a team'.
Students are familiarizing themselves with all
the components of the PYP. We have been
looking at how we all have different skills
and that working collaboratively brings all
these skills together. This is my second year
at RCHK and I am thoroughly enjoying
working with such a wonderful teaching team
and year group of students.
morrih1@rchk.edu.hk
6JF - JOE FAHY
Hi there, my name is Joseph Fahy. Many of the
current Year 6 students will remember me when
I previously taught them Physical Education,
when they were in Year 3. My word, how they
have grown and matured during this time! This
is my third year teaching in the fabulous Year 6
teaching team. I am looking forward to another
incredibly challenging and action packed year
with my students. We have spent the first two
weeks getting to know each other week, we
launched into our first unit of inquiry and have
engaged in some fascinating tuning in activities.
jfahy@rchk.edu.hk
6DB - DAWN BREWS
Hello. First of all, I’d like to say what a
pleasure it has been getting to know all the
students in 6DB. We have had a wonderful
start to the year and the children have
already settled nicely into their new
routines. This is my third year at RCHK.
Previously, I was teaching Year 4, so many
of my students and parents already know
me. Please keep our lines of
communication open and contact me
anytime should you have any questions or
concerns.
brewsd1@rchk.edu.hk
Unit of Inquiry #1
Our first Unit of Inquiry is an
investigation into children’s
rights.
Title: Sharing the Planet
Central Idea: Children
worldwide encounter a range
of challenges, risks and
opportunities.
Focus Area(s): Social Studies
Lines of Inquiry:
• Challenges, risks and
opportunities that
children encounter
locally and globally.
• How children respond to
challenges, risks and
opportunities.
• Ways in which
individuals,
organizations and
strategies can be used
to protect children.
Key Concepts: Perspective,
Form, Change
Related Concepts: Rights,
Justice, Equality
Learner Profile: open
mindedness, reflective
Learner Attitudes: empathy,
respect, tolerance
Transdisciplinary Skills:
• Communication skills
• Research skills

MEET SOME IMPORTANT
YEAR 6 PERSONNEL
Mrs Noeleen Ayson
Y6 Educational Assistant
Mr Danny Shek
Y6 Educational Assistant
Mrs Jo Williams
Y6 Educational Assistant
Mr. David Neirmeier
Performing Arts
Mr Steve Faire, Mrs Sandra Gordon -
Physical Education
Mrs Louise Shaw
Visual Arts
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
As we begin our 7th academic year it is a good
time for everyone to reflect upon and revise their
understanding of the Primary Years Programme
(PYP).
What is the PYP It is a transdisciplinary
programme of international education designed to
foster the development of the whole child.
The PYP draws on research and best practice from
a range of national systems with a wealth of
knowledge and experience from international
schools to create a relevant, engaging, challenging
and significant educational framework for all
children. The curriculum framework consists of five
essential elements: concepts, knowledge, skills,
attitude, and action.
The PYP is designed for students aged 3 to 12. It
focuses on the total growth of the developing child,
touching hearts as well as minds and
encompassing social, physical, emotional and
cultural needs in addition to academic
development.
As in previous years we will offer parent workshops
throughout the academic year so that you may
revise and extend your understanding of the
philosophy and practice of the PYP.
http://www.renaissance.edu.hk/content/pyp
http://www.ibo.org/pyp/