Disruptions to School

Disruptions to School Operations and Virtual Home Learning

HKIS follows Hong Kong’s Education Bureau (EDB) operational requirements for
schools during disruptions to school operations, such as the Covid-19 pandemic or inclement weather. In addition, HKIS has developed systems and procedures to keep our community safe while minimizing disruption to student life and learning. Visit HKIS Central on DragonNet to view the latest information and FAQs, including HKIS’s Risk and Response Matrix.

In the event of school closure relating to health or other disruptions, virtual home learning will resume where possible. Parents and students should refer to DragonNet for links to these resources.

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:

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:

* 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
• Education Bureau website
• 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
  106.8 (Southern Hong Kong Island)

Fire / Evacuation Procedures

1. Alarm sounds – students and faculty exit to the field QUICKLY AND QUIETLY.
2. If a student is injured and cannot safely navigate the stairs ask them to go to the front gate and check-in with the Associate Principal. Teachers should notify the field by showing a red card.
3. Close doors & windows securely. Leave all bags behind to facilitate leaving and moving quickly.
4. Students and teachers should move briskly through these routes:
   • 8th floor: Science classrooms, Choir proceed to the back stairway (A) then directly onto the field. Romance Languages and Chinese classrooms proceed to the central stairway through the atrium to the long stairway that comes up from the field.
   • 7th floor: Band rooms, Rooms 702-706 proceed to the back stairway (A) then directly to field. Rooms 707-715 proceed via the central stairway through the atrium to the long stairway that comes up from the field. Rooms 716 and 717 should proceed to the 5th floor down the side stairway closest to those rooms, past the main office and on to the long stairway.
   • 6th floor: Rooms 601-604 proceed to the back stairway (A) then directly to field. Rooms 605-615 proceed via the central stairways, through the atrium to the long stairway that comes up from the field. Rooms 616 and 617, should proceed to the 5th floor down the side stairway closest to those rooms, past the main office and on to the long stairway.
   • 5th floor: Auditorium and Classroom 502, exit via back stairway (A).
   • Cafeteria: proceed past the Dragon Shop and down the central stairway to the field.
   • Nurse’s Office: – proceed out the front gate and down the sidewalk towards Pak Pat Shan Road.
   • P.E. Dept., Athletics Dept: proceed to the farthest side of the long stairway (closest to Tai Tam Gardens) then descend to the field.
   • Library: students leave through the central stairway to the field.
   • Rooms 101-105: proceed to the back stairway then directly onto the field.
   • Students/faculty on crutches or injured meet at the front gate and check in with nurse and office staff (stay on sidewalk).
   • Everyone using the long stairway to the field should use both sets of stairs to avoid bottlenecks.
5. Admin and counselors check their areas of responsibility.
6. On the field:
   • Pastoral Care/Homeroom Group (PCHG) teachers line up alphabetically by grade along the sideline closest to the HS building, with grade 12 closest to the Baseball homebase and 9 closest to the Middle School.
   • Students line up by PCHG perpendicular to the sideline section of the field.
   • PCHG teachers take attendance and signal office staff with a RED card if missing someone or GREEN if all are present.
   • Students should sit in single file line in front of teacher as soon as possible.
   • Main Office secretaries and Athletics Office assistants will come to the teacher and take any missing names to cross-reference with the daily absence report.
   • Names to be checked against the absentee list prepared by the attendance officer.
   • Await the return signal from an administrator on the field.