Love and Care in Schools in the New School Year

EDUCATION BUREAU CIRCULAR MEMORANDUM No. 130/2022 From: Secretary for Education To: Supervisors and heads of primary

and secondary schools (including special schools)

Ref: EDB(EPSK1)/1-50/1

Date: 10 August 2022 c.c. Heads of sections – for information

Love and Care in Schools in the New School Year Summary

This circular memorandum informs primary and secondary schools (including special schools) of a new round of events to be launched by the Education Bureau (EDB) to promote students’

mental health and encourages the active participation of all stakeholders (including schools, students and parents).

Background

2. In the wake of COVID-19, students’ mental health has become a matter of widespread concern. With the new school year approaching, students are faced with changes and challenges.

To help them settle in and build resilience, school personnel should prepare well beforehand.

Research studies have revealed that family harmony and positive interpersonal interactions in schools are both vital in maintaining students’ mental health and preventing student suicide. In the 2022/23 school year, we will continue to strengthen gatekeeper training for teachers, parents and students, with a view to creating a conducive environment for students’ development and providing a stronger safety net for students in need.

Details

(1) Territory-wide online seminars organised in preparation for the new school year (to be held in August)

3. To help schools support the mental health needs of students in the new school year, the EDB will organise territory-wide online seminars for secondary and primary schools on 22 and 23 August respectively. Speakers including university academics, school representatives and educational psychologists will share their expertise from different perspectives to help school personnel identify early and cater for students’ mental health needs, thereby strengthening students’

resilience and their sense of connectedness with schools. Principals, vice-principals, guidance teachers and school social workers of primary and secondary schools are cordially invited to attend

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(2) Thematic online workshops on gatekeeping for parents (to be held from September to December)

4. The EDB has been organising Parent Workshops on Gatekeeper Training and will roll out thematic online workshops on gatekeeping for all parents of primary and secondary students in the 2022/23 school year. The workshops will cover topics such as adapting to changes, facing examinations and enhancing flexible thinking. For details and enrolment, please refer to the announcement to be issued on September 1 on the Mental Health@School website. Video clips of the workshops will be made available on the website. Schools are advised to encourage parents’

participation in the workshops and promote the video clips to parents on their school intranets or websites.

(3) Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme 2.0 (to be held from January to August)

5. To enrich students’ knowledge on mental health and strengthen peer support and care among them, the EDB has commissioned non-governmental organisations to organise gatekeeper training under the Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme since the 2019/20 school year. The programme aims to train and equip secondary school students to become peer leaders capable of identifying and dealing with peers in need, and to promote a friendly and supportive culture in school. Enrolment on the Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme for the 2022/23 school year closed in July. Owing to the overwhelming response, we plan to launch the Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme 2.0 from January to August 2023 to benefit more students, and invite participation from all secondary schools in the territory. For details, please refer to Annex 2.

“Start the Day Full of Energy” in schools to promote students’ mental health

6. To enhance students’ mental health literacy, discourage stigmatisation that results in resistance to help-seeking, and strengthen students’ resilience and mental health, the EDB organised the “Start the Day Full of Energy” Slogan Design Competition for all primary and secondary schools in the territory in May 2022. The competition was well received with more than 5 000 entries. The results have been released on the Mental Health@School website (mentalhealth.edb.gov.hk).

Winning entries will be displayed in the “Start the day full of energy” quotation corner on the website and disseminated in various formats such as e-posters, PowerPoint slides and WhatsApp stickers.

Schools are encouraged to make use of these resources to promote students’ mental health and create a positive and caring atmosphere on campus. Downloads are available via the link or QR code below:

https://mentalhealth.edb.gov.hk/en/promotion-at-the-universal- level/promotional-resources-for-schools/77.html

Enquiries

7. For enquiries, please contact Ms Mandy YEUNG, Executive Officer of the Education Psychology Service (Kowloon 1) Section on 3698 4311.

Ms YY SO

for Secretary for Education

Annex 1: Territory-wide online seminars on “Love and Care in Schools in the New School Year”

(to be held in August) – Details, enrolment method and rundown

Annex 2: Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme 2.0 for the 2022/23 school year (to be held from January to August) – Details and sign-up form

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Annex 1

“Love and Care in Schools in the New School Year”

Territory-wide online seminars

(1) Details

SE0020220180

Date: 22 August 2022 (Monday)【for secondary schools】

23 August 2022 (Tuesday)【for primary schools】

Time: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Mode: Real-time online via Zoom

Target participants: Principals, vice-principals, guidance teachers and school social workers Maximum number

of participants:

1 000

Enrolment closing dates:

17 August 2022 (Wednesday)【for secondary schools】

18 August 2022 (Thursday)【for primary schools】

Remarks:  Online seminar places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

 Successful applicants will be notified by email one working day before the online seminar.

 Please ensure that your email address is correct as the email notification will contain login details and relevant information.

 For enquiries, please contact Ms Candy TAI (Tel.: 3698 3995) or Ms Cary LI (Tel.: 3698 4306) of the Educational Psychology Service (Kowloon 1) Section of the EDB.

(2) Enrolment Method

Enrolment can be made through the EDB Training Calendar System.

Course ID: SE0020220180

https://tcs.edb.gov.hk/

For non-EDB e-Services portal users Online enrolment is available via the

following link or QR code.

https://bit.ly/3PRGbIW

(3) Rundown

22 August 2022 (Monday)【for secondary schools】

Time Topic Speaker

2:45 – 3:00 Registration

3:00 – 3:05 Introduction

3:05 – 3:35 Improving Students’ Resilience

Professor Freedom LEUNG, Senior Clinical Psychologist,

Head of Shaw College of The Chinese University of

Hong Kong

3:35 – 3:55 A Whole School Approach to Support Students’ Well-being

Mrs FAN LAU Mei-chi, Candy, Vice Principal and

Mrs YIU LAU Hoi-sze, Rita, Special Educational Needs

Coordinator of Holy Trinity College

3:55 – 4:15 From Fragile To Unbreakable

Ms LUI Sze-yan, Assistant Principal and

Ms NG Yin-ping, Special Educational Needs

Coordinator of Man Kwan Pak Kau College

4:15 – 4:45 Preparing Students for the Challenges in the New School Year

Ms CHAN Wai-man, Michelle, Educational Psychologist of the EDB

4:45 – 5:00 Q&A All speakers

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23 August 2022 (Tuesday)【for primary schools】

Time Topic Speaker

2:45 – 3:00 Registration

3:00 – 3:05 Introduction

3:05 – 3:35 Improving Students’ Resilience

Professor Freedom LEUNG, Senior Clinical Psychologist,

Head of Shaw College of The Chinese University of

Hong Kong

3:35 – 3:55 Caring through Adversities

Ms LEE Yee-king, Yuky, School Head,

Ms LUK Yim-kum, Deputy Head and Ms CHU Lan-fong, Senior Teacher of Tai Po Methodist

School

3:55 – 4:15 Cultivate a Positive School Culture

Mr WOO Tin-tak, Senior Teacher, Ms HO Ka-lei, Senior Teacher and Ms LAI Nga-wun, Social Worker of

H.K.T.A. Shun Yeung Primary School

4:15 – 4:45 Preparing Students for the Challenges in the New School Year

Ms WONG Ming-yan,

Educational Psychologist of the EDB

4:45 – 5:00 Q&A All speakers

Annex 2 Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme 2.0

for the 2022/23 School Year Objectives

To enrich students’ and teachers’ knowledge of mental health, strengthen mutual support and care among students, and promote a friendly and supportive culture in schools by training students to become peer leaders.

Details

The EDB has commissioned non-governmental organisations to organise this Programme, and will invite participation from 10 to 15 secondary schools. Each participating school will have to select two to three guidance teachers/ social workers/ guidance personnel as advisors, who will provide guidance and support to peer leaders throughout the training and in organising school-based activities for promoting mental health. Each school will also have to nominate 10 to 25 students at Secondary Three and Four to receive school-based training for peer leaders and organise different kinds of school activities on promoting mental health to increase the awareness and understanding of mental health among students and teachers.

Programme Period January to August 2023 Content

1. Online briefing sessions for all teaching staff 2. Joint-school training workshops for advisors 3. School-based training workshops for peer leaders

4. School-based mental health promotion activities organised by peer leaders 5. Closing ceremonies for peer leaders

Enquiries

Ms Crystal YIU, Educational Psychology Service Assistant Officer (Tel: 3698 4305) or Ms Mandy PANG, Inspector (Tel: 3698 4308) of the Educational Psychology Service (Kowloon 1) Section, EDB

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To: Educational Psychology Service (Kowloon 1) Section, Education Bureau (Attn: Ms Crystal YIU, Educational Psychology Service Assistant Officer) (Tel: 3698 4305)

(Fax: 2715 8056)

Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme 2.0 for the 2022/23 School Year

Sign-up Form

(Please reply by 30 September 2022)

1) We would like to sign up for the Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme 2.0 for the 2022/23 school year.

2) The following guidance teacher/ social worker/ guidance personnel will be the contact person for the Programme:

Name in English Post Telephone number Email address

Remarks: If the number of schools signing up for the Programme exceeds the quota, the enrolments will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Schools will be notified of the enrolment result in October 2022 and follow-up arrangements will be made with the contact person.

Signature of principal : Name of principal : Name of school : Telephone number :

Fax number :

Date :

School

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