Weekly Newsletter – Cross Section

Cross Section is the weekly High School division newsletter for students, parents and faculty. It will be emailed home and will be available online every Monday afternoon. You can find previous issues of Cross Section on the HS DragonNet page: https://www.hkis. edu.hk/dragonnet/high-school/hs-newsletter/hs-newsletter.

Emergency Weather Warnings Procedures

Hong Kong weather can be extreme and this sometimes requires that we modify our school schedules. As always, parents are advised to use their best judgment in determining whether to send their children to school whenever the weather is inclement or road conditions make travel to school unwise. The Education Department makes a decision before 8 a.m. and distributes this information to the media. Under normal circumstances, HKIS follows the Government’s recommendation and will not contact parents directly. Parents are responsible for checking the website for any announcements.

Please note there are times when localized weather conditions on the south side of the island are very different from territory-wide predictions. In circumstances where HKIS needs to take action that is different from the Government’s recommendation we will contact parents as early as possible and place an announcement on DragonNet.

Generally speaking, HKIS will wait for an official announcement from Hong Kong’s Education Bureau before notifying the community about school closures (due to bad weather or health considerations such as flu outbreaks). On occasion, these announcements take time to come out, and, in that time, some news outlets and community members try to anticipate whether the Education Bureau will close schools or not. Please rest assured that HKIS will contact parents and employees with news of any closure once official word has been received.

What we do when the signal is raised before school starts:

Typhoon 1

All R1-12 classes are in session.

Typhoon 3 R1 classes are cancelled. R2-12 classes are in session.

Typhoon 8 and above

All schools are closed – learning activities will be determined on the day.

Amber Rainstorm All R1-12 classes are in session.

Red Rainstorm All schools are closed – learning activities will be determined on the day.

Black Rainstorm All schools are closed – learning activities will be determined on the day.

What we do when the signal is raised during school hours:

At times a typhoon increases in intensity or a rainstorm signal is raised while the children are at school. If this happens, we will use the following procedures:

Typhoon 1 All R1-12 classes will remain in session with regular dismissal times.

Typhoon 3 All R1-12 classes will remain in session with regular dismissal times.

Typhoon 8 and above

All R1-12 classes will be dismissed. (The notice of typhoon 8 signal being raised is given to schools several hours before it is actually hoisted, thus allowing schools enough time to make arrangements to get students home safely.)

Amber Rainstorm All R1-12 classes will remain in session with regular dismissal times.

Red Rainstorm All R1-12 classes will remain in session AND* students will remain in school until conditions are safe for them to return home.

Black Rainstorm All R1-12 classes will remain in session AND* students will remain in school until conditions are safe for them to return home.

* This means students will not be released until the warning has been removed and buses are authorized for safe travel, which could be after 3 p.m. Please note that the HK government strongly advises everyone to stay indoors during a Black Rainstorm warning. Driving yourself or sending someone to pick up your child during a Black Rainstorm signal is extremely dangerous and not advisable.

Note: In the case of a Typhoon 8 signal when we must dismiss the children prior to the end of the regular school day, parents will be contacted with the approximate new dismissal time. It is critical that you discuss with your family and your helper the new arrival time and determine who will be waiting at the bus stop for your child. If your child regularly walks home or is picked up by car, please be prepared to come immediately to school and pick up your child at the normal meeting place.

Buses will run and complete their routes if school is in session or when students are on board. Any variation to the regular schedule will be the decision of the bus company in consultation with the school administration.

For information regarding weather conditions, we recommend the following sources: Hong Kong Observatory website: www.weather.gov.hk

Education Bureau website: www.edb.gov.hk

Hong Kong Observatory telephone: 187-8200 (Press 1 for Cantonese, 2 for Mandarin, 3 for English)

RTHK – Radio 3: FM 97.9 (Central and environs) or FM 106.8 (Southern Hong Kong Island)