2017-2018 Issue No. 15

THE VISIONKowloon Tong School

(Primary Section)

KTS Adventurers and English Passports The 2017-2018 academic school year has offered some new, fun and educational experiences for students, parents and teachers to enjoy. Students of different ages have been excited to participate in all the new activities offered in this year’s English Language Days. To help the students track their progress and participation on English Language Days, each student was given their very own English Passport in October. After receiving their passports and taking an oath, the students were henceforth transformed into ADVENTURERS! Each Language Day is an adventure and as the slogan for this year has been “Let’s Explore and Achieve!”, students, parents and teachers have worked together on Language Days to put this slogan into action.

KTS’s Got Talent KTS’s Got Talent has been a wonderful way for students to showcase their talents and become a star on stage. Students have demonstrated a variety of skills for the event, including storytelling, singing, playing instruments, reading tongue-twisters, performing magic tricks, and much more. To those who have talent we say, “Believe in yourself! Anything is possible!”

English Language Days

“I was over the moon while I was doing magic tricks for KTS’s Got Talent. I had to prepare and practise my routine many times and it was a great learning experience. The students were very surprised to see all my tricks.”

Yanna Chan, 5B

KTS decided to let Primary 4 and Primary 5 students join in the fun this year in creating new themes for Language Days. They engaged in planning each Language Day, such as script writing for the radio fun programme, promoting the theme of Language Days in classes and delivering the radio fun programme from our KTS TV Station. Our English Ambassadors assisted their schoolmates as coordinators. This year’s Language Days have delivered rich new content, such as STEM, myths and holiday-themed activities. Some of the topics for this year’s exciting programmes have included Endangered Animals, Greek Myths, Chinese New Year, Bizarre Festivals, Jokes and Tales, Amusement Parks, and even Easter Bunnies.

English Radio Fun Programme: Primary 4 and 5 Students

English Ambassadors have found being involved in Language Days busy, but very enjoyable. Those English Ambassadors who helped train the hosts of the Radio Fun Programme, found it to be a challenging but rewarding experience, especially for topics such as Endangered Animals which contained a lot of new and difficult vocabulary. All of KTS’s English Ambassadors have really enjoyed assisting with each Language Day. Running the games and activities in the English Room has been a particular highlight for many of them while others have relished asking their fellow students challenging questions around the school campus. Some of our English Ambassadors have particularly liked working with the younger students whilst some have enjoyed giving out gifts at the gift station the most.

“At first, I was nervous and worried to be a host, but after I started speaking I became more confident. That [the radio programme] was a lot of fun; I want to do it again next time.”

Yannox Lung, 5C

Language Day Themes

Date Theme Class

17/10 Planets ---

14/11 STEM ---

28/11 KTS’s Got Talent 5A

12/12 Endangered Animals 5B

9/1 Greek Myths 5C

23/1 Chinese New Year 5D

6/3 Bizarre Festivals 5E

20/3 Easter Bunnies 4A

17/4 Jokes and Tales 4B

8/5 Amusement Parks 4C

English Ambassadors

“Get Caught Speaking in English” In addition to English Ambassadors and teachers being involved in Language Days, new Parent Ambassadors have also joined in. Parent Ambassadors speak in English with students at the tuck shop and all around the campus. Students can enjoy sharing stories and interesting experiences with the Parent Ambassadors.

Parent Ambassadors

This year, KTS invited parents to participate in the school’s Language Days to provide more opportunities for our students to be encouraged to talk even more in English. Parents were given similar roles as the English Ambassadors and given the appropriate title of Parent Ambassadors. On Language Days, parents could be seen walking around the school campus and engaging the students in conversation by asking questions about what they had learnt from the Radio Fun Programme and giving out stickers. Our Parent Ambassadors have thoroughly enjoyed their new role; they are proud to see our students talking so much in English and find their enthusiasm very encouraging.

“I have been an English Ambassador since Primary 5. This year, KTS has introduced many more fun activities to Language Days compared to last year. I can see that students participate more during activities and that they take the initiative to speak more in English. Students always chat in English and they strive to do their best in speaking activities and presentations. This year, we have KTS’s Got Talent, Get Caught Speaking in English and our English Passports which encourage KTS students to achieve more every Language Day. I always enjoy asking my schoolmates questions and teaching them more about that Language Day’s topic. I hope everyone will have the chance to have fun, learn and achieve something every Language Day.”

Natalie Chan, 6C English Ambassador

Janelle from Class 1C’s mother

Hang Kin from Class 3C’s mother

“The standard of English in Hong Kong and the teaching of English in our schools is constantly on the mind of parents, and rightly so. A clear understanding of, and confident expression in the international language of business is vital for our children. As a native English speaker, I felt it was my duty to be a Parent Ambassador at KTS. This involves spending a lunchtime each semester with children, speaking to them, asking questions and increasing their overall confidence in speaking English. I attended my first lunchtime session in November 2017, and was quickly talking to a large number of very confident and articulate children from all year groups at KTS. It’s great to know that the children are receiving such a solid grounding in English from the English teachers. Thank you to you all, and I look forward to the next Parent Ambassador session!”

Mr. Stevens, Parent Ambassador

Juliet from Class 1C’s father

Each year, KTS students are invited to join one of our special Friday afternoon classes. All students can take part in a variety of games, activities and courses. There is even a Talented Thinkers course for gifted Primary 4 students and a Progressive Writing Course for talented Primary 5 students who wish to improve their writing skills. All the courses are very engaging and our students really look forward to Friday afternoons!

Apart from the Friday classes, KTS students also have the chance to take part in various lunchtime activities, two of which are the English Society (for Primary 2 to Primary 4 students) and the Reading Groups (for Primary 1 students). Students get the opportunity to use real-life everyday English as they talk, play games and read stories throughout these activities which are conducted completely in English during the lunch recess.

All our classes and activities aim at improving students’ speaking and writing skills in a relaxed and fun environment. Our Friday classes and most lunchtime activities are led by two teachers and where only English is used. So, if you didn’t join these classes or activities this year, remember to join us next year.

Friday Classes and Reading Groups

“This [English Activity Group] class is interesting because we use English to communicate with each other and to play games together. It is fun and I enjoy it a lot.”

Joycelyn Chan, 6B

“Our Friday class is fun and interesting because we can learn about poems. We have group discussions and play games together. We also do a lot of fun writing. I really enjoy taking part in this class.”

Alfonso Ng, 4B

My Sports CarMy sports car – how powerful he is!Zoooom – a speed devil.Smoke from the back, A red and black blur.How cool he looks!My sports car – my life.

Students’ Good Works

Ng Alfonso Grifo, 4B

Cheung Wing Ning, 5C

The BeachPlaying with your friends is fun,especially under the warm sun.Building sandcastles, playing beach volleyball,but even that is still not all.You may even take a cold dip,or just go and get a quick nip. You can just relax with some lemonade,or you can sleep for the whole day.Buy cheap shovels which you can resell.You may decide to also collect seashells.There is no beach that is out of reach,so go and spend a day on the beach.

Good Writing Tasks

Year 2017—2018(3C) Chung Cheuk Lam

A Special Person In My Eyes

The special person in my eyes is Yundi Li. He is a handsome man with sparkling eyes. He is always well-dressed so he always looks smart. He is very charming especially when he plays the piano. His talent for playing the piano was revealed when he was only seven. He is hard-working as he practises a lot to achieve the greatest performances. I absolutely admire him because he is diligent. He uses a lot of effort to learn how to play the piano well. He became the youngest champion to win the Chopin Competition. He is also the first Chinese to get this honour. He is a special person as he trains hard to perform better and better. Therefore, he gets a lot of awards. His success makes me understand that we can pursue our goal by using our heart. If we practise more and more we can become closer to our goal. I also learnt that we cannot give up easily.

Year 2017—2018(1B) Yick Yi Kwan

Be A Good Student

Hello. I am Queenie Yick. I am six years old. There are many places at school, like the classrooms and the library. My favourite place at school is the aqua garden. I can look at the tortoises and fish. We must follow the rules, because if you don’t, it will be dangerous. We mustn’t feed the animals in the aqua garden because we must keep the animals safe.

Year 2017—2018(2B) Fan Eis

School Events

Today is Animal Sports Day. Bunny is good at playing basketball. He practises basketball after school every day. He wants to join the basketball competition. Bunny signs up for the basketball competition. He is thrilled. The champion of this competition can receive a trophy and prizes. He hopes he can be the champion. However, when the competition is about to start, Bunny finds that his trainers are at home. He feels worried. He is afraid that he cannot take part in the competition. Bunny’s teammates feel upset because Bunny does not have his trainers. Bunny wants to withdraw from the competition and join the cheering team. If so, his team cannot win without him. At that moment, one of his teammates lends him a pair of trainers. When the competition starts, Bunny tries his very best to score as many points as he can. In the end, Bunny’s team wins the competition. Bunny’s team receives not only a big trophy and many prizes, but Bunny is also given the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award. Bunny can get a certificate from the referee. After the competition, Bunny and his teammates are very proud of themselves. Bunny learns that he has to check his bag carefully before leaving home.

Year 2017—2018(4C) Chan Raphael Tze Nok

Seeking Advice

1st July, 2017—3rd July, 2017 I was very disappointed after I quarrelled with my younger brother. I failed both my English dictation and General Studies assessment last week. My younger brother knew this and laughed at me. He also looked down on me because he got an A in one of the exams. I was extremely disappointed and angry so I shouted at him and fought with him. He told Mum and Dad about it and said he was innocent. My mum was very frustrated with my rude behaviour. She did not allow me to watch the ‘Happy Saturday Fun’ programme. I was extremely angry. The next day, I couldn’t find my mobile phone as my brother hid it in the cupboard and then locked it up. I could not open it so I fought with him again. I was very indignant at my brother’s behaviour so I kicked him in his face. Unluckily, his cheek bled. Then, Mum called an ambulance and it took him to the hospital. I was shocked and disappointed with my reckless behaviour. I want to get on well with him again. I really cherish our relationship and hope my brother will forgive me. Can you give me some advice on how to solve this problem?

Year 2017—2018(6D) Lam Cheuk Yan A Hiking Accident Last Saturday, I met my classmates and teacher at school. We were all excited that day because we were going to the Hong Kong Trail. We paired up and got on the coach and set off for the destination happily. During the bus ride, everyone was overjoyed and kept talking about the activities we could do afterwards. When we arrived, our class teacher, Miss Tsang, told us some rules, ‘You all should not be running around during the hike. Don’t walk off the hiking trail or else you may get lost.’ All the students were listening attentively except Max. He was looking closely at a buzzing bee on a flower. After the briefing, I paired up with Max as we are friends at school. We started exploring the flora and fauna around. Suddenly, a black shadow dashed in front of Max. It was an adorable rabbit. Max was so curious that he chased after it without hesitation. I shouted to Max, ‘Stop running, you will get hurt!’ Max did not hear me and continued running after the rabbit. I was in two minds whether or not to follow Max. At last, I decided not to leave him alone. I ran after Max and shouted angrily, ‘Stop now, Max!’ Max was not paying attention so he tripped over a stone and fell onto the ground right away. Max sprained his ankle and it swelled immediately. He could not move because his knee was bleeding profusely as well. I was in horror seeing his injuries. I tried to help him stand but his ankle was so tender that he screeched, ‘Don’t touch me!’ He clutched his leg and, a few seconds later, he started wailing like a baby. I was shocked by his sudden reaction but there was nothing that I could do. Right before I was going to comfort him, Max suddenly stopped wailing. I looked at him and saw him staring at the ground. I heard something hissing and I saw a snake crawling toward us! We were terrified! Although Max’s ankle was badly twisted, both of us stood up immediately and tried to run away from the scene as fast as we could. Max limped with pain but he knew that he must run for his life. At last, we escaped from the snake. However, we found out that we were totally lost in the woods. The sun was set. It was already nighttime and it was getting cooler and cooler. I wanted to call Miss Tsang for help but there was no signal in the woods. What was worse, there was no more food left in my rucksack. We were in peril as we were unable to leave the woods. I was nervous and full of panic but then I remembered Miss Tsang had told us to stay calm in an emergency. All of a sudden, I thought of a useful plan. I snatched my torch out of my rucksack and sent an SOS message into the sky hoping someone would see it. Not long later, we heard someone calling our names. We were on cloud nine when we saw our teacher and classmates again. Miss Tsang called for an ambulance. The paramedics came and sent Max to the nearest hospital. We visited Max the following day and the doctor said, ‘Don’t worry, he is okay but he will be walking on crutches for a few months.’ We were relieved. From this hiking accident, I have learnt that we should always look before we leap.

Year 2017—2018(5A) Ho Shing Hin

Music is something everyone lovesUncover the masterpieces by BeethovenSparkling Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Natchmusik”Interpret the greatest classicals by BachChopin pieces made alive

Comfort your earsObserve the detailsNavigate the orchestraDedicate life to musicUnderstand the audienceCaring for the performersTouching people’s soul with music Occupy people’s heart and Relax everybody’s mind

itchy feetA person who has itchy feet is someone who finds it difficult to stay in one place and likes to travel and discover new places or he/ she wants to do or experience something different.

hit the road When you hit the road, you begin a journey.

jump on the bandwagon

If a person or organisation jumps on the bandwagon, they decide to do something when it is already successful or fashionable.

in the same boat If two or more parties are in the same boat, they are in the same unpleasant or difficult situation.

Consultants: Headmistress Yeung Mee Kuen, Vice-Headmistress Leung Yee Wah

Committee members: Ms Tong Ka Wai, Ms Chan Sze Mun Mr Wong Kam Yung, Ms Jojo, Ms Joanna Ms Alison, Mr Kevin

Address: NKIL 2721 Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong

Tel: 2336 3802

Website: http://www.ktsps.edu.hk

Email: info@ktsps.edu.hk

English Fun

Caption ChallengeThink about what Mr. Bean and the farmer are talking about and then fill in the speech bubbles. Show your captions to the Oral teachers to receive a gift!

Knock knock. Who’s there? Alpaca.Alpaca who?Alpaca suitcase for our holiday!

Q: What do sheep always take on a camping trip?

A: Their baa-ckpacks.

Q: Why can’t you take a skunk on holiday?

A: Because your trip will stink!

Jokes About Travelling

Example: Farmer: What do you think you’re doing?!Mr. Bean: Would you believe me if I said I was mowing your lawn?

Idioms