News

New school year pushed back as Covid-19 rages on

Many of Hong Kong’s international schools and kindergartens are just weeks away from reopening for the 2020/2021 school year. But with the city battling a third wave of the coronavirus, it was announced in July that the new school year will be delayed. Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said that schools would begin classes no earlier than August 17. Exact reopening dates will be announced in time, depending on the development of the pandemic and social distancing restrictions.

Flooding in Southern China

Flooding from monsoon rain occurs almost every year across parts of China, but the country is now facing some of its worst floods in more than a decade. Heavy rain since the beginning of the month has forced evacuations of about 1.8 million people in 24 provinces, mainly in Southern China. World Vision Hong Kong is closely monitoring the situation in Southern China and will provide assistance to people in the affected areas. If members of the public would like to make donations to people affected by the floods, call the World Vision hotline at (852) 2394 2394.

Hong Kong students receive IB Diploma 2020 results

The results for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme were announced early July. Out of the 2,324 local candidates who completed the IB curriculum, 23 students received top marks of 45. They include 12 English Schools Foundation pupils, four from St Paul’s Co-educational College, three from Diocesan Boys’ School and one from German Swiss International School. Hong Kong students scored an average of 36.31 total points in this year’s IB Diploma, which is 6.41 points above the global average of 29.9, with a 97.9 percent pass rate. In an unprecedented move the face of Coronavirus, the IB organisation called off written exams, which were originally scheduled between April 30 and May 22. Students were instead graded based on their school coursework and predicted marks in mock exams.

Lohas Mall set to open

A new shopping centre in Lohas Park is set to open its first stores this August. The 480,000 square-foot mall will feature a supermarket, restaurants, hair salons, a cinema, an indoor ice rink as well as new stores, with several brands making their debut in Hong Kong. All stores are expected to open at the end of the year.

International brands close Central locations

Ethical beauty brand Lush and clothing retailer Topshop are the latest to fall victim to increased financial pressures and tourism slump due to the coronavirus pandemic. Topshop will close it’s 14,000 square feet flagship store on Queen’s Road Central and bid farewell to Hong Kong when its lease expires in October. Lush, known for its fragrant handmade soaps and bath bombs, has closed its five-storey store on Lyndhurst Terrace but it’s other Hong Kong based locations remain open. The drop in tourist numbers in recent months has led to a great impact on retailers in Hong Kong. Gap has also announced it will close five of its eight shops in the city, while Victoria’s Secret abruptly closed its Causeway Bay flagship store in June.

BABY NEWS Fun toys to stimulate your newborn’s developing skills

Infant toys are specially designed to entertain your baby and at the same time help with his or her development. While it’s important to get newborns a toy that enables them to learn, it is equally important to find one that is safe to play with. Here are three products from NotTooBig to stimulate your baby’s developing skills.

Playgro A Day At The Beach Activity Book

Reading stories stimulates a baby’s cognitive skills and imaginative thinking. This large-sized story is soft to touch and full of visual and tactile stimulation for babies to enjoy.

Oxford Path Baby

This English learning series encourages babies to explore the world and cultivate their curiosity through interesting games, music and rhythm, reading materials and parentchild interactions.

Disney World of English

Diverse and interesting teaching materials enable children to come across the same words repeatedly and hence deepen their understanding of the words.

NotTooBig Mega Baby Expo

Date: Oct 29 - Nov 1, 2020 (Thu-Sun)

Time: Oct 29 - Oct 31, 2020 Nov 1, 2020

12noon-8pm 11am-6pm Venue: Star Hall / Rotunda 2, 3/F, Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Centre

Fee: $10 / person