May 22, 2026
May 22, 2026
Embedded Files
Dear ICS Community,
Earlier this month I wrote to all staff and faculty on our progress with ACSI recommendations. The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is our accrediting body, and after being successfully reaccredited last year, they gave us four things to work on until our next full visit in 2031. One of these is Expected School Outcomes (which need to include both academic and non-academic), and how we communicate these. We have considered this in the various school divisions, and enjoyed the input of specialist Christian educators who have visited us for professional development.
We are going to keep things very simple, and define these as Wisdom and Virtue. This means we can continue to use things like the "Bees" and ESLRs where they have value in different divisions, but be clear in all divisions about what we want for our students. Education is not just information, it is formation, and this ties into our Vision 2050 theme of “Oaks of Righteousness". The Bible says that we are to “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prov.22:6) Oak trees have solid roots and are not easily swayed by the wind, as we want our students to grow into faithful disciples of Jesus not swayed this way and that by the world or deceitful desires.
Wisdom is really about where our hearts are fixed, because we are shaped by what we love. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov.9:10) Virtue is about our habits (good and bad), because we get good at what we practice. “Train yourselves to be godly.” (1 Tim.4:7). So: wisdom and virtue are about hearts and habits, and that is what will be our focus in formation in and out of the classroom.
Week Without Walls next week is a great opportunity for our High School Students to grow in both wisdom and virtue, and I know we will be in prayer for them as they imitate the example of the Lord Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many.
Blessings to you all
Nick Seward
Head of Schools
Reminder: Complete Your Child's 2026-27 Registration
Reminder: Complete Your Child's 2026-27 Registration
This is a friendly reminder to complete the registration for your child(ren) for the 2026-27 school year.
An email with full instructions was sent last week. To access your registration pack, please log in to the ICS Portal, then navigate to PowerSchool’s Parent Portal. The registration pack will appear in the left-hand menu. You will be asked to complete the "Medical & Demographic Update" form before proceeding.
Deadline: May 29, 2026
If you have already registered, thank you—please disregard this reminder. If you haven’t started yet, please do so at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your prompt attention.
School Bus Service Update
School Bus Service Update
The School Bus Tendering Committee has completed a careful review of the school bus service tender for the 2026-2030 (4 + 1-year) agreement. After 6 months of work, including analysis of operational needs, family feedback, safety considerations, route planning, and fee proposals, the committee reached a unanimous recommendation - Chun Wo Bus Service Ltd. will continue to serve ICS as the designated school bus provider, with the following Service Improvement:
A briefing and Q&A session for new bus families before school starts
A dedicated handbook and customised guide for ICS drivers and nannies
Safety training for drivers and nannies will be increased to twice yearly
Chun Wo will remain the school's preferred provider for outings & extracurricular activities, subject to a 10% discount and fleet availability
Joint-name third-party public liability insurance in the names of Chun Wo and ICS, at an additional cost of HK$80 per rider per month.
Reduce drivers & nannies rotation frequency
Existing bus stops will remain during enrolment. In the event of insufficient sign-ups, Chun Wo will offer a centralised pick-up option as an alternative for families.
We thank all School Bus Tendering Committee members:
Mrs. Sze Wing Lee IP (KG Parent Rep.)
Mrs. Weis (ES Parent Rep.)
Mrs. Melissa Lam (ES & SS Parent Rep.)
Mr. Jeffrey Ho (PA Rep.)
Mr. Alan Lui (Facilities Management)
Ms. Manli Wong (School Operation)
Mr. Keith Welch (ES Principal)
Mr. Will Schroeder (MS Principal)
PS: For 26/27 School Bus registration, please visit Bus Service
Important Dates 📅:
Registration Start Date: 15 May 2026
Registration End Date: 12 June 2026
Food Committee Year-End Update in Partnership with Sodexo
Food Committee Year-End Update in Partnership with Sodexo
As we near the end of the academic year, the ICS Food Committee is pleased to share a summary of our work and progress with Sodexo.
The committee was formed at the start of the year through an open call for members and includes three High School student representatives (Zanna Lam, Jenevieve Tse, Ashlyn Ng), three parent representatives with relevant professional perspectives—Sandy Ko (Registered Dietitian), Edward Ma (Food Business Owner), and Ben Wong (Parents Association Vice Chair)—and myself, Hilda Wong, Director of External Relations. This balanced mix ensures nutritional, operational, and community perspectives are represented.
A key part of our work has been reviewing student feedback collected through Sodexo’s digital kiosks each month. Our student representatives consolidated and analyzed this feedback, ensuring student voice directly informed improvements.
Key improvements this year include:
Upgraded bread quality through a new supplier, with positive student feedback
Enhanced food taste and variety, including culturally diverse options (Sichuan, Greek, Thai, Korean)
Better serving portions and grade-specific refill arrangements
Improved tuck shop flow with floor footprints, reducing congestion and wait times
New tray clean-up system, encouraging student responsibility and smoother lunch periods
We also reviewed tuck shop offerings with student input and shared a consolidated wishlist and feedback with Sodexo for planning the 2026/27 school year.
In our members’ words:
Zanna, Jenevieve, and Ashlyn (Student Representatives):
“From balancing budgets to reducing food waste, we’ve learned that small, consistent choices at the serving counter add up to a big impact across our school community. This year taught us that student voices aren’t just heard, they help set the table!”
Edward: “Regardless of food taste, portion, variety and nutrition level, Sodexo really made significant progress over the year. Good job, keep it up!”
Sandy: “I am honoured to serve on the ICS Food Committee this year. I am impressed by Sodexo’s internationally standards-based approach to meal planning, which supports balanced nutrition and diverse dietary needs, and I appreciate their openness to feedback. I look forward to continuing our collaboration to further enhance the variety, quality, nutrition, and portion balance of our school meals!”
Ben: “Sodexo has been promptly responsive to students’ constructive feedback via various channels. Let us be grateful for the catering services that our school staff and students are receiving.”
The committee will continue into the next academic year as part of a two-year commitment. We remain dedicated to ongoing dialogue, continuous improvement, and transparency. If you have suggestions or feedback about our food program, please feel free to reach out to any committee member. Your input helps us serve our community better.
Finally, a sincere thank-you to the entire Sodexo team for your dedication, responsiveness, and hard work in serving our school. Thank you for partnering with us to make meaningful improvements to our lunch program.
—Hilda Wong, Food Committee Chair (Director of External Relations)
ES Battle of the Books
ES Battle of the Books
If you are a parent of a student involved in the ES Battle of the Books program, please join us for the Battle of the Books Showcase! The top two teams of Grade 4 and the top two teams of Grade 5 will battle each other for the title of BoB Champions 2026! Top teams are yet to be determined, but ANY BoB parents are welcome to attend.
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 10:00am-11:30am
Location: ICS Theatre (1/F)
Tickets can be booked through the ICS Event Tickets link on the ICS Portal. Please use your ICS parent email for booking.
☀️ Registration will be closed on May 31, 2026 ☀️
Join us for two weeks from July 13 to 24—with courses for children ages 4 to 14 (We welcome both ICS students and non-ICS students). Bring a friend and make unforgettable memories!
This year’s theme is Grow and Glow—helping children learn to connect their emotions to God’s truth, while enjoying fun programs like cooking, stories, drama, art, sports, Mandarin, creative writing, science, money skills, and outdoor APA (and more!).
Registration opens now and closes on May 31.
Visit our website to sign up and check out the discounts there!
Please check the carpark Lost and Found Station for any water bottles belonging to your child. Unclaimed items will be removed after a certain period. Thank you!
International Christian School
1 On Muk Lane, Shek Mun, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
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