Dear Parents and Students,

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!

I sincerely hope that you have been enjoying your summer holidays and that you were able to spend quality time with friends and family. Summer is a special time filled with adventure, new experiences, and unique opportunities to explore Hong Kong and other parts of the world. I know I speak on behalf of all faculty and staff when I say that it will be wonderful to see you all again very soon. We look forward to hearing all about your summer!

School Resumption – Thursday, 10 August!

We are especially excited to see our students back on campus on Thursday, 10 August. The front gates will open at 7:40 am. When we start the new school year, we’ll resume our regular health and safety practices at AIS. Like flu, cold, and other respiratory viruses and illness, students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 should refrain from attending school or work if they are symptomatic, and mask wearing is encouraged for anyone who is feeling unwell. You are reminded that if a doctor’s note is provided within two (2) days from when the student or staff member returns to school, the absence can be recorded as an authorized absence, in accordance with AIS Attendance Policies. Rapid Antigen Tests for cases of COVID are no longer accepted for attendance authorization.

School Lunch Program

It’s not too late to order lunch from Cafe Concepts if you haven’t already. We remain very proud that our lunch program meals are healthy and contain no added chemicals, preservatives, or food coloring.

Communication

At AIS, we believe in the importance of frequent and ongoing communication to ensure a positive and productive learning environment. Making sure to connect with your child’s teacher(s) and Divisional Principals whenever needs arise is essential to supporting student learning, wellbeing, and academic achievement. We often say, “Communicate early and often.” This practice helps us to avoid potential misunderstandings and promotes important communication skills we develop with our students. When parents and families work together, we make a powerful difference in the lives of our students.

Traffic on Waterloo Road

Parents and families who drop students off in front of the school are kindly reminded that they spend as little time doing so as possible. Please make sure that you and your child are prepared to exit the vehicle without delay. Our school buses are the only vehicles that are permitted to drop off in that area. We need your help to avoid a situation where the Department of Transportation changes the designation in front of Gate 123 to a no-stopping area.

Remember, drop offs can be arranged on surrounding streets. You may also wish to consider enrolling your child in school bus services as well. Please visit California Coach or complete this School Bus Service Application to sign-up. Let’s work together to keep Waterloo Road free from congestion and safe for our students and families!

Registration

Thank you to all of our families for ensuring that your children are registered for school and ready to begin on Thursday, 10 August. Be sure to check your email for important messages sent on July 7, 11 & 28 related to tuition and registration as well as messages from your Divisional Principal(s).

New Faculty

It is my pleasure to take this opportunity to welcome our New Faculty to AIS. We have a wonderfully talented group of teachers joining us this year, and I know you will extend a warm AIS welcome to them all. We want to formally thank our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for their incredibly warm welcome this week and especially our new PTA President, Ms. Jane Lam. A lovely array of snacks and beverages were available every day of our New Faculty Orientation Week, and we are grateful!

Enjoy the last few days of the summer holiday, everyone. We look forward to seeing you soon!

My best,

Anita Simpson
Head of School