K2 Gecko Class

After the term break, the children have immersed themselves in the new Unit of Inquiry (UOI) learning - "How the World Works" (世界是如何运作的). We began by exploring some basic shapes, including circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, and stars, through the story "形状" (Shapes). The children enjoyed searching for these shapes around the classrooms and playground.   Next, the children were inspired by the story "你叫什么名字？" (What Are You?), which showcases different animals created using various shape combinations. Eager to apply their newfound knowledge, the students tried making their own animal or object creations using an assortment of shapes.     As Halloween fell during this week, we also learned about the traditional custom activity of "Trick or Treat" through the story "火鸡的万圣节" (Turkey's Halloween). The children even had the opportunity to make their own dancing skeletons using cotton buds and glue, which added to the festive atmosphe...

The K2 children have started tuning into their next Unit of Inquiry  How The World Works , with a focus on design and creation through play. Last week, classes went over to Bradbury School's makerspace "The Shed" as a provocation to explore different tools and materials. This visit surfaced a lot of the children's prior knowledge and was helpful in guiding the next steps in class inquiries. These provocations will no doubt support children's thinking and gradual understanding of how play can lead to purposeful design and creation.  Here is the unit's key information: If you would like to learn more along with some concrete examples of what the learning might look like, feel free to hear me walk through the unit in greater detail. It's a 4 min video and you may press the full screen button for a clearer view. This unit holds so many opportunities for true transdisciplinary learning as design and creation organically invites learning across subjects - you mi...

Dear Gecko Class Families, Thank you to all the parents who shared their beach photos in the Google Albums. They sparked meaningful conversations among the children about their experiences at the beach, allowing them to share and discuss the different sights, sounds, and activities they encountered during their beach trips. By using the beach photos as a starting point, the children have been able to explore and discover new ways to engage in dramatic play, recreating beach scenes, acting out beach-related activities. The children have thoroughly enjoyed adding various items to the beach area. They added foam blocks to make pretend sandcastles, shells to add decorations and go on 'shell hunts', boats to play in the 'sea', hats and umbrellas to protect them from the sun, and sea creatures to swim in the 'ocean'. It has been wonderful to see the children connect with the space they co-constructed and come together as they communicate their ideas with one another. ...

Dear Parents and Caregivers, I hope this message finds you well. Over the past two weeks, our inquiry learning has centered on the theme of friendship. The children have been excited to share who their friends are using the sentence structure “我的朋友是……” (My friends are) and to discuss their favorite games to play together. We enjoyed the story "小象的好朋友" (Baby Elephant’s Good Friends) and explored the concepts of safe play and what constitutes a good game.  Through the story "凯文和凯蒂" (Kevin and Katie), the children learned valuable lessons about playing nicely with friends. They also had a wonderful time engaging in the Jenga game, which enhanced their teamwork, collaboration, turn-taking, and sharing skills. As we approach the Chong Yang Festival (重阳节), we held an assembly on Friday where the children learned about the traditional customs associated with this celebration. Thank you for your continued support! Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable term break! Class Bl...