Term 2 Week 10: Mar. 21st-25th

It’s been another week of a lot of exciting things in EY1. After two days of remote learning last week, the children came back so very excited to be learning in person again and to see their friends! “I like school!” some children said, which is music to a teacher’s ears.

We were also super lucky this week that we got to go and see this year’s DP Art Exhibition – a first for many students to be at an art exhibit and a first for all our students to visit the Auditorium where it was set up. 

Photo Gallery of Visit to the DP Art Exhibition

Another highlight for us this week were the special guests who visited our classroom – Mr. Gerry and his dog, Cooper! The children were so delighted and had many questions for Mr. Gerry about how he cares for Cooper. This was perfect and supported the students’ tuning in to the needs of this type of living thing – animals!

Photo Gallery of Cooper’s Visit

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We are grateful for our Special Helpers – Anya, Proud, Elsa, Vicky, Gawin, Netan, Myra, Zuri, Kim and Sea. As Special Helpers for the day, the children continue to hone their skills of communicating, negotiating and compromising with each other as to who would be the head of the caterpillar and who would be the tail as each entails a different set of responsibilities. They have also learned much about taking turns. 

Language and Math

The students continue to build their language and math skills through our morning meetings at Circle Time. They are gaining strategies on “reading” each day’s schedule, using pictures as cues. A couple of students even asked, “Why is there no Playground today?” on Tuesday when we used the time to go visit the special art exhibit.

In Math, students have a better understanding now that when the 10 frame is full, it means that there are 10 and they can count on from there and don’t need to count starting from one. 

Unit of Inquiry 

This week, we tuned in to another category of living things, animals, for our unit of inquiry on “Taking Care of Living Things.” We know that animals are living things because they need air, water and food to grow. Even though there are different types of animals, they all need these things. The special visit from Mr. Gerry and his dog Cooper helped us to better understand what a dog needs to grow.

 

As it was the last Friday of the month, it means that it was House Shirt Day. It’s always fun to see the students in their brightly colored shirts. Friday also means FUN FRIDAY in EY1. The students were challenged to try out two different activities – stamping from recycled materials and testing out paper airplanes to see which ones could fly the farthest. Both of which involved a lot of creative thinking, inquiring, testing, reflecting and redoing AND we had a lot of fun in the process!

Due to special circumstances, Ms. Ploy and Mr. Ashley were invited to spent the day with the EY1 classes on Friday. Mr. Ashley is currently a Grade 1 teacher who kindly agreed to support EY1 as he’s taught Early Years before. Ms. Ploy is current an EAL Teacher in the Primary School and can be seen supporting different classes.  The children kindly welcomed them both, stretched their flexibility muscles and adapted to the changes of the day as necessary. They got to know two new teachers in the process and had a lot of fun!

Photo Gallery – Week of Mar. 21st-25th

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Parenting Corner
* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Some parents wonder when their child will start to read. Well, children cannot even begin to read without developing their early literacy skills. This is where you come in. According to the librarians at Winnipeg Public Library, “Early literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write.” They have shared the following tips on what parents can do at home. Many of our EY1 parents are already doing these on a daily basis. Keep up the great work! Remember to continue to make it a positive experience! It’s not how much they know when they think back to the time shared with you. It’s more how it was shared and the time together that put smiles on their faces.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For Next Week:

  • March 28 – EY1 Swim Day – Bring swim bag and all necessary items.
    .
  • March 28-April 1 | Book Week
    Primary School will be celebrating “Tales from around the world.
    .
  • March 30 | 10:30AM |  Primary School Q & A
    [for link – see email “Parent Update from the HOS – March 25″]
    .
  • April 1 – Library Day – Bring books back to swap!
    .
  • April 1 | Book Character Dress-up Day
    Primary school students will be encouraged to come to school dressed up as characters from the tales..

Looking Ahead…

  • April 6 | Chakri Day (school & office closed)
    .
  • April 8 | Last Day of Term 2
    .
  • April 11-15 | Songkran Holiday – No school for students.
    (April 13-15 school & office closed)
    .
  • April 18 | First Day of Term 3

Thank you for your continued support and partnership! Have a restful weekend!

EY1 Team 😊


 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 10: Mar. 21st-25th

Term 2 Week 9: Mar. 14th-18th

We had a very exciting start to the week – it was our first time to go swimming in EY1!!  Some students came to school Monday morning very excited while some came with a bit of nerves about having to go swimming. They all embraced the IB learner profiles of being a risk-taker and being open-minded about trying something new and took part in the swim class with Mr. Max, Mr. Tuk and Ms. Kate. Afterwards, many could be heard saying, “Swimming was fun!” These swim days are also great opportunities for the children to practice undressing and dressing themselves.

Photo Gallery of First Swim Class


 


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Even with remote learning, we don’t miss out on celebrations and fun. Gawin celebrated his birthday with his classmates during our Circle Time call. Happy Birthday Gawin!

A huge THANK YOU to this week’s Special Helpers Yadin, Lalin, Grace, Smile, Kim, and Summer. The children continue to love the opportunity of being the Special Helper for the day and the responsibilities that come with it. This week we introduced another responsibility that the Special Helpers can help with – moving the Stars to help us track the days of the week and where we are in the day!

Language and Math

The students are not only learning language and math skills through their play and exploration, they are also learning them through the morning check-in activities and our morning meetings during Circle Time. The children are able to identify their names more confidently now and are learning the letters their names start with. They are also learning about math through looking at the data we collect each day and how numbers and math are used to help us make sense of the world around us.

Leading up to KIS Book Week 2022 – “Tales from Around the World” (Mar. 28-Apr. 1), Ms. Ran and Ms. Noi have been reading stories to the children in both English and Thai. We welcome any parents to share a story from their home country and if they’d like, in both their home language and English. It would be a special treat for the children and would help broaden their view of the world!

 

Unit of Inquiry 

For our unit of inquiry, “Taking Care of Living Things,” we looked more specifically about plants and how they can come in different shapes and sizes. We also explore what they are some things plants need to live and grow. How do they “eat”? How do they “drink” water? 

The children also had a lot of fun drawing and painting sunflowers. They were guided to notice the different parts of the flower to help add details to their drawings and paintings. Many were very proud of their work. 

The week finished with the last two days of remote learning. The children transitioned seamlessly. They should feel so proud of how adaptable and flexible they have become. For Fun Friday this week, the children enjoyed listening to a story about vegetables that grow up, down and all around followed by a scavenger hunt for some of these items in their homes.

Photo Gallery – Week of Mar. 14th-18th



* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Parenting Corner
* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

“What words we use with our kids become what words they tell themselves.” ~ @mamapsychologists 

The language we use with our children makes a difference to them. Which one of these 8 things to tell your child that they are enough will you try this week? If you do try one, let us know how it goes.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  • March 21 – EY1 Swim Day Bring swim bag and all necessary items.
    .
  • March 23 | 10:30AM Primary School Q & A [for link – see email “Parent Update from the HOS – March 18″]
    .
  • March 24 | 9:00-10:15AM | HOS Parent Coffee [for link – see email “Parent Update from the HOS – March 18″]
    .
  • March 25 – Library Day Bring books back to swap!
    .
  • March 28-April 1 | Book Week
    Primary School will be celebrating “Tales from around the world.
    .
  • April 1 | Book Character Dress-up Day
    Primary school students will be encouraged to come to school dressed up as characters from the tales.
    .
  • April 6 | Chakri Day (school & office closed)
    .
  • April 8 | Last day of Term 2
    .
  • April 11-15 | Songkran Holiday
    No school for students

Thank you for your continued support and partnership! Have a restful weekend!

EY1 Team 😊



Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 9: Mar. 14th-18th

Book Week 2022 – Purchase Books Online Now!

Click here or the picture above for the KIS – Books 53 Ordering Site.

Normally, students and families are able to purchase books at a discount during Book Week. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions this year, we are unable to have book sellers visit KIS.

Luckily, we have been able to arrange for a virtual sale through Books 53. They are offering a 10% discount for all books purchased online during the period of March 14-25. Books will be delivered to KIS and distributed following Book Week.

See KIS Library site for more info.

Thank you for your support!

KIS Book Week Team


 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Book Week 2022 – Purchase Books Online Now!

Term 2 Week 8: Mar. 7th – Mar. 11th

Dear EY1 community,

It’s been a busy week with parent teacher meetings. We would like to thank you all for taking the time to meet with us. Your insights and partnership is so valuable and we appreciate all your efforts as parents to help make this first year at KIS a positive experience for your child. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Although we have been at school full time for 8 weeks now. We are still enjoying a few ‘first’ moments together. This week the EY1 students had their music lesson with Mr Chris in his awesome Music room for the very first time. The children were very excited and had a lot of fun exploring some of the musical instruments. This week they had the opportunity to play the drums and practised following along to the beat of the song.

We continued our inquiry into caring for living things and focused on the ‘Needs’ of people. The children shared some wonderful connections as you can see from the chart below:

 

Early this week you received an email with information regarding the start of the upcoming swimming program from Monday. To help prepare the children for this experience and what to expect, we went on an excursion to the school swimming pool. The children were able to see where they would be having their swimming lessons, met some of the other teachers who will be helping Mr Max and talked about the swimming routine and the rules of the swimming pool and how to be safe.

Photo Gallery – Week of Mar. 7th – Mar. 11th 

On Monday, students should come dressed in their swimsuits under their PE uniforms. We have found that it’s helpful for students to bring a Swim Bag with all the swim items needed for class. See picture below for all the items they will need.

As you know, we LOVE to sing and learn new songs in EY1. This week we learned the song ‘5 Little Speckled Frogs’


* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Parenting Corner
* * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Building self esteem within your child

Children are not born with a sense of self-esteem. It is learned through how parents and other important people feel about them and treat them. Self-esteem also comes from the feeling that we have a place in the world and that we are part of a family or community where we matter. Below is a guide for parents on self-esteem and how to build self esteem within your child.

Building Self Esteem Guide for Parent


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  • March 16 | 9:00-10:00am | HOS Parent Coffee [for link – see email “Parent Update from the HOS – March 11“]

  • .
  • March 17 |  8:00am | Primary Parent workshop: “Developing Mathematical Thinkers”Hosted by Tania Mansfield (PYPC) & Jen Jaques (Maths Coordinator)  [for link – see email “Parent Update from the HOS – March 11“]
    .
  • March 17 – Book returns for Library Day on Friday
    .

  • March 28-April 1 | Book Week
    Primary School will be celebrating “Tales from around the world.
    .

  • April 1 | Book Character Dress-up Day
    Primary school students will be encouraged to come to school with dress up as characters from the tales.
    .
  • April 6 | Chakri Day (school & office closed)
    .
  • April 8 | Last day of Term 2
    .
  • April 11-15 | Songkran Holiday
    No school for students.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership! 

EY1 Team 😊


 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 8: Mar. 7th – Mar. 11th

Term 2 Week 7: Feb. 27th – Mar. 4th

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome a new classmate to EY1. Yadin is the youngest of three in his family. He has two older brothers who also attend KIS – Segev in EY3 and Tzuri in G3. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A huge ❤️ THANK YOU ❤️ to this week’s Special Helpers Zuri, Gawin, Ty, Myra, Vicky, Elsa, Anya, Proud, Kimmy and Yadin. Each week, the children wait eagerly and patiently for their turn. When it’s not their turn, we have observed that they respectfully remind each other of who the day’s special helpers are. 

Our new morning check-in activities received much enthusiasm. With a different question each day, we are not only learning more about each other, we are also learning about data collection and how using ten frames can help us keep track of the data collected easily. Building their names with the clothespins is a fun way to increase strength in their small motor skills.

Unit of Inquiry

We continue our current UOI or unit of inquiry, “Taking Care of Living Things,” under the transdisciplinary theme Sharing the Planet. This week, we tuned in to what are living and non-living things and what those characteristics might be. We learned that living things grow, eat and need air. We introduced hand actions to show if something is living or non-living. Feel free to continue this discussion at home.

For Fun Friday this week, the children went outside around the school grounds to document what they think are living and non-living things. They are very proficient with taking photos on the iPads.  

Photo Gallery – Week of Feb. 28th – Mar. 4th 

 

Photos from PE, Music and Library Classes

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * 
Parenting Corner
* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Children Learn from Their Struggles
Check out this video of this little girl as she struggled to climb up the hill. She wanted to be helped but Mom encouraged her to try. There were moments where she wasn’t happy about it, but the smile and her sense of accomplishment at the end said it all!


One of the best things parents can do for their children is to give them a chance to face their challenges and struggles a bit. Be there and ready to support and guide them, but DON’T RESCUE them every chance you get. By allowing our children to try and struggle a bit, we are gifting them a chance to do the following things:

    • Build self-belief
    • Build self-confidence
    • Learn from trial and error
    • Learn from their mistakes
    • Learn to problem solve
    • Learn to face “failures” and how to get up again
    • Have a sense of accomplishment
    • and much, much more!

Be there to support and guide them on their journey. Sit with them or give them lots of hugs and love when they’re down. But try NOT to do things for them! Encourage them to do it for themselves. They are very capable, remember?


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

    • March 7-11 – Parent Teacher Conferences for EY1 – G4
      .
    • March 9 | 10:30am – Primary School Q & A [Meeting Link]
      .
    • March 10 – Return for library books
      .
    • March 14| Swimming Starts
      Details will be shared this coming week.
      .
    • March 28-April 1 | Book Week
      Primary School will be celebrating “Tales from around the world.”
      .
    • April 1 | Book Character Dress-up Day
      Primary school students will be encouraged to come to school with dress up as characters from the tales.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership! 

EY1 Team 😊


 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 7: Feb. 27th – Mar. 4th

Term 2 Week 6: Feb. 21st – 25th

Dear EY1 community,

Welcome back EY1 friends! We hope you all have a nice relaxing break. It’s been wonderful to hear about the children’s adventures these holidays and it sounds like everyone had a great time with their families. The children have adjusted remarkably well back into their school life and routines. A BIG thank you to this week’s special helpers Soma, Summer, George, Smile, Netan, Sea, Lalin, Grace, Ella and Elle for helping with many important jobs and also being great role models for friends this week. 

.

 

Also, a BIG thank you to parents for supporting your child with crazy hair day today. We were blown away with the thought and creativity from the EY1 students and their families. We had so many friends participate and many members within the PYP community complimented us on what a great effort everyone had made. WELL DONE to our 4 finalists below!

Thank you to everyone else who participated. You all looked amazing!

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

It was also a very exciting week as we celebrated not one but TWO birthdays in EY1. A big Happy Birthday to Proud and Charkin who both turned 4 this week. We hope you had a lovely time celebrating with your friends and families this week!

We had a lot of fun learning about rhyming words this week, where the end of certain words can sound the same. Many friends were able to pick this up quickly. Some students also extended their thinking by making connections to words and people in their environment. We learned a new song to support our learning of rhyming words called ‘Down by the Bay’ which the children really enjoyed. If you would like to revisit this at home please click the link below:

Down by the Bay Song (LINK)

In Math this week, we introduced the Numicon. Many students were curious about numicon from the teachers’ costumes during Math Week. Numicon is a great physical and abstract resource that helps support early numeracy skills. Each shape represents a number from 1-10. The pieces are perfect for tactile, multi-sensory, hands on learning experiences. This week we made a number line with them.The children took turns at finding each piece and our line went all the way up to the number 21. They did a great job matching the numbers to the pieces and used their knowledge of colours and one to one correspondence to match each piece on the line.

 

 

The children also showed great interest in our new puzzle and colour sorting centers this week. They used the tongs to pick up the pom poms and sort them into the coloured cups, building their fine motor, hand-eye coordination as well as colour recognition.

For our new UOI, Taking Care of Nature we tuned in by first asking the question ‘What is nature’? Many children joined in the class discussion making connections such as clouds, animals, family, monsters, cookies and shoes.

We then watched a video looking at different types of nature to help extend our thinking even further. The children made SO MANY WONDERFUL connections such as mountains, trees, plants, volcano, river, snow, desert, flowers, forest, iceberg, sea, beach and sharks and more!

To end the week and for our FUN FRIDAY activity, the children went on a nature walk around the school. They worked in pairs to identify and then take photos of anything they considered to be nature within their environment.

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  • March 2 | 8:00am – Primary School Q & A [Meeting Link]
    .
  • March 3 | CIS Parent Survey Due
    Click here for link: CIS Parent Survey
    .
  • Week of March 7-11 – Parent Teacher Conferences for EY1 – G4
  • March 10 – Book returns for library
    .
  • March 28-April 1 | Book Week
    Primary School will be celebrating “Tales from around the world”
    .
  • April 1 | Book Character Dress-up Day
    Primary school students will be encouraged to come to school with dress up as characters from the tales

 


 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 6: Feb. 21st – 25th

Term 2 Week 5: Feb. 7th – 11th

It is hard to believe that we have finished 5 weeks of Term 2 already. This also means that our EY1 students have had about 5 weeks of in-person learning at school with both Class A and Class B together, going to school daily. The children are doing remarkably well with all the new routines and all the changes to schedules, getting up earlier, going to school everyday, etc. So it is not surprising that the children get very tired, even before the end of the week. It’s critical for the children’s learning and brain development that they get adequate rest. (See Parenting Corner below.)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We would like to thank this week’s Special Helpers Asher, Elsa, Vicky, Elle, Anya, Myra, Mabel and Kim – for helping with different “jobs” as well as modeling many of the things we are learning in EY1 like walking and playing safely, using a kind voice, being a good friend, listening when others are talking, etc.

Our EY1 children are so capable. In addition to carrying their own water bottles to and from the playground and lunch area, they have also been practicing tidying up their own plates and utensils after Snack and Lunch Times. Of course they also help tidy up the toys when it’s time to tidy up and they wash their hands by themselves. For our fire drill this week, the EY1 students received many compliments on how well they stayed together and walked quietly to our designated safe place on the field. Our caterpillar line is looking very beautiful too! We are capable!

We tidy up after Lunch and Snack Times 

Photo Gallery – We Are Capable!

We had a lot of fun with Math Week this week. Our focus was data collection. We counted how many boys and girls in the class and made predictions and measured the tallest and shortest in the class. After learning that this year was the Year of the Tiger, we also wanted to know what Zodiac animals our friends and teachers are as well as how many people like pizza more versus ice cream more. Some friends made patterns and shapes in their playdough. We were lucky enough to have Mr. Gerry join in some of the playdough fun! The highlight of the week was the Math Dress Up Day on Friday! We are beginning to understand that math is more than just numbers and counting!

Photo Gallery – Math Week


As we continue our current unit of inquiry, “Play,” under the transdisciplinary theme, How We Express Ourselves, the children are learning to exercise different skills as they engage in various types of play. For example, some children joined in a spontaneous game of hide-and-seek with Ms. Sian in the classroom. This is a game we usually play outside on the playground. During the game, we could hear children helping each other, “Hide here!” or “This is a good place.” Many got very creative with hiding places, including hiding in the “oven.”  Children were also helping each other count as well as taking turns being the seeker and the hider. 

Fun Friday this week included a 💗 Valentine card making activity as well as special playtime on the “big kids’ playground” where there’s a zipline! It’s been another busy and fun week in EY1!

Photo Gallery – Week of Feb. 7th – 11th


.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Parenting Corner
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 


Graphic from American Academy of Pediatrics (link here)

As mentioned above, adequate rest is crucial to our EY1 student’s growing brains, not to mention their emotional and mental state as they engage in a day’s learning. Studies show that preschoolers (ages 3-5) need at least 10-13 hours of sleep and sometimes more depending on their level of activity during the day. It is recommended that parents aim for a 7pm bedtime and no later than 8pm. Help children establish a bedtime routine where they can start to unwind and settle in for the night. Children’s diet can affect the quality of their sleep depending on how much sugar or caffeine (in cola drinks, etc.) they have consumed. Some very wise parents have kept their children home from school for a day when they have had a challenging night of sleep. This has not only allowed the child to catch up on rest, but has also allowed them to make positive connections with their school experiences. For those interested, below are links to some additional reading on the sleep needs of preschoolers:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

    • Week of Feb. 14-18 | February Holiday
      No classes. Campus closed to students.
    • Feb. 20
      Submit ATK Tests by 8pm in preparation for return to school on Feb. 21.
    • Feb. 21
      First day back to school after the February Holiday.
      .
    • Feb. 23 | 8:00am – Primary School Q & A [Meeting Link]
      .
    • Feb. 24 | 9:00-10:15am – HOS Parent Coffee [Meeting Link]
    • Feb. 25 | Primary School House Challenge Day – Crazy Hair Day
      Students are invited to come to school with their interpretation of crazy hair.
      .
    • Week of Mar. 7-11 | Parent Teacher Conferences
      Sign up sheet and other details will be shared after the holiday.

We couldn’t help but share one more photo of the children from Chinese New Year. A few friends were away and we were able to get everyone’s photos this week. Yay!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership! Enjoy some special family time together next week as well as the upcoming ❤️ Valentine’s Day on February 14th. 

EY1 Team 😊


 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 5: Feb. 7th – 11th

Term 2 Week 4: Jan. 31st – Feb 4th

Dear EY1 Community,

It’s been a very fun, yet, eventful week in EY1. We were back to a 5-day learning week, with many of the children showing fatigue towards the end of the week. Thank you for your support with communicating with teachers about their sleep routines. This really helps us understand when children might need some extra support each day.

Your child may have mentioned ‘Special Helpers’ this week at home.This is something we have introduced to support the children in being responsible and principled learners. The Special Helper has many important jobs such as being the head of the caterpillar line, turning off the lights when we leave the classroom, supporting the teachers with choices of songs and games as well as choosing the Special Helper for the next day. 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  

This week our EY1’s were amazing global citizens and open-minded learners as they strived for understanding of different cultures and how people celebrate around the world. 

Chinese New Year

The children contributed to the wonderful CNY decorations in the atrium by each making their own lanterns and they looked amazing on Tuesday in their red red CNY outfits. The EY1’s demonstrated that they are caring and generous members of the community, showing such excitement and enthusiasm to hang their red envelopes with donations on the tree. We also collected data on each person’s Chinese zodiac animal within the class community, learning our own as well as others’. We had a class discussion on which zodiac animal had the most or least amount of people and how did we know.

 

Waitangi Day (New Zealand’s National Holiday) and the Story of the Taniwha

The children really enjoyed listening to the Maori legend about a Taniwha. A Taniwha is a mythical creature who lives in the rivers near Maori towns and villages. The Taniwha protects the village people from danger and scares away evil spirits. He meets a little boy called Maui and they form a special friendship. They go on wonderful adventures together, travelling under the water, seeing many ocean animals and amazing treasures deep in the ocean. It is based on the song ‘I saw a Taniwha,’ which we also learned this week! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8QvdQGcsA

The children contributed to the story by making connections to some ocean animals they know and drawing these on the whiteboard. The children are learning how powerful storytelling can be. Stories teach us about life, about ourselves and about others. Storytelling is a unique way for children to develop an understanding, respect and appreciation for other cultures, and helps promote a positive attitude to people from different lands, races and religions.

 

We continued to inquire and reflect on the different types of play for our unit of inquiry, looking at how we play, who we like to play with and where we like to play. The children are enjoying the various play centers and are revisiting and extending their ideas each time. This week we introduced a new sensory based center ‘Water Play’. The children took action in choosing their resources and colours of the water each day. They used their imaginations and immersed themselves in role play scenarios with friends making tea, coffee, sodas, juice and more! They are exploring concepts such as light/heavy, float/sink, full/empty and shallow/deep. We are learning to share space and resources with friends, and concentrate and solve problems. For many children (and teachers), this is also a very therapeutic and relaxing experience too.

Photo Gallery – Week of Jan. 31st – Feb 4th

Special Guest – Ms Alex 

This week Ms Alex came to visit us in EY1. We learned about her role as the school counsellor and she explained that she has a very special job as KIS. She supports all the members of the community such as students, teachers and parents! They are able to come to her with many different problems and feelings.

Her main focus for this particular visit was to talk to the children about BODY safety. We had a class discussion about being the ‘BOSS’ of our own bodies because we are in control of them. We make our bodies go, use our brains for thinking and we have our own feelings inside us. To support our lesson on body safety, Ms Alex read us a story called ‘No Means No’ by Jayneen Sanders. She also taught us a new song called ‘My Body’.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Parenting Corner
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As I’m sure many parents have noticed, we LOVE to sing songs in EY1. Some parents have been requesting us to share links and videos to these. Here are a couple of our favourites for you to sing along with your child at home. 

– Days of the Week

– Tap, Tap, Tap!

– Stand up 

My Body (with Ms Alex)

Link to EY1 Songs (Videos)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

    • Feb. 7th – 9.00am – 10.00am – HOS Parent Coffee [Meeting Link]
      .

    • Feb. 9th – Library Books Due
      Please help the children pack and bring back the library books on THURSDAYS. Book checkouts will now be on FRIDAYS.
      .
    • Week of Feb. 7-11 – Math Week
      More details to follow.
      .
    • Feb 10th – Remote Learning Day
      .
    • Feb 10th – Primary students invited to come to school wearing mathematics!
      .
    • February 11 – 8.00am – PS Parent Forum [Meeting Link]
      .
    • Week of Feb. 14-18 – February Break
      No classes. Campus closed to students.

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 4: Jan. 31st – Feb 4th

Term 2 Week 3: January 24th-28th

It was another interesting week with a mix of in-person learning and remote learning. And WOW!!! Everyone just adjusted to the different ways of learning very smoothly! Well done, EY1!! Thank you too, Parents, for your flexibility and for your support in making the transitions very seamless.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

One of the exciting things that happened this week is that we celebrated Anya’s birthday with her. She’s very happy to be turning 4!

This week, we saw the students coming to school feeling more and more confident as they are settling into their new routines. They are also getting accustomed to having all members of both Class A and Class B. It’s very sweet that some children have noticed and asked about classmates who were not present that day. 

For our unit of inquiry, we are continuing to explore the different types of play as well as what we learn when we play. We introduced a new center this week – Dinosaur Land. The children used their language to interact and negotiate with each other about taking turns. They share ideas about who the dinosaurs are and what the dinosaurs are doing. For some, this center was a very tactile experience. They love being able to touch and handle all the different pieces and components. All the pieces and the center are cleaned off and reset at the end of each day so that the next day, the students can start fresh to build another version of “their” dinosaur land. 

Whether in person or remotely, our PE and Music lessons carried on with Mr. Max and Mr. Chris. During Fun Friday this week, we learned about Chinese New Year and did various games and activities to prepare for our upcoming celebration next Tuesday, 1st February. See “Chinese New Year” below for more information.

This Friday was also the first time for us to visit the Library. The children were SUPER excited and were very respectful in the library by using quiet voices, handling the books like babies and using our walking feet. Friday was also our first House Day at school. Thank you parents for helping the students dressed in their house shirt. We were very colorful!!

Photo Gallery – Week of Jan. 24th to 28th

Chinese New Year 春节

On February 1st this year, it is Chinese New Year and it is the Year of the Tiger. Leading up to this, the children have been learning about what Chinese New Year is and about how it is celebrated. They really like learning about the Chinese zodiac story. We have also been making lanterns and tigers to decorate our classroom spaces. 

 

Red Envelopes: Another very important Chinese New Year tradition is the red envelopes. They are usually given to children with money inside for good luck throughout the new year. KIS has a tradition where students and families are invited add a small donation (20-50 baht) and bring it back to school to hang on the tree that will be decorated with red ribbons in the Atrium for all to appreciate. The money collected will be donated to a local charity, Christian Mission. The idea is for students to learn that prosperity is not just about what we have but how we share what we have with others too. If your family chooses to participate, please be sure to have a discussion with your child as to why you as a family have chosen to do this. The red envelopes will be sent home on Monday.

Traditional Chinese Clothes: On Tuesday, February 1st, students are welcome to come to school wearing traditional Chinese clothes or any red clothing to celebrate Chinese New Year together.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  • Jan. 31
    Here are some check-in emotions to chat with your child about for next week — feeling good, excited, playful, curious, worried and sleepy.
    .
  • Feb. 1 – Chinese New Year
    Come dressed in traditional Chinese clothes or any red clothing. (optional)
    – Bring red envelopes with small donation inside to hang on the tree. (optional)
    .
  • Feb. 2 – World Read Aloud Day
    We will be doing some reading aloud at school. Families are welcome to read together at home too.
    .
  • Feb. 3 – Library Books Due
    Please help the children pack and bring back the library books on THURSDAYS. Book checkouts will now be on FRIDAYS.
    .
  • Week of Feb. 7-11 – Math Week
    More details to follow.
    .
  • Week of Feb. 14-18 – February Break
    No classes. Campus closed to students.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership! Wishing everyone a restful weekend and we look forward to seeing the children again next week for our Chinese New Year celebration plus other activities!

EY1 Team 😊


 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 3: January 24th-28th

Term 2 Week 2: January 17th-21st

Dear EY1 community,

It’s been a challenging and tiring second week for some children this week! After the excitement of the first full week for them last week, many of the children have shown fatigue. The children are still adjusting to their new schedule and routines but are still showing enthusiasm towards school and being with all their EY1 friends and teachers. Please be sure to spend your weekend resting and having some much needed downtime. It is also important to keep up their sleep routines too.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Week’s Learning & Fun
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This week, the children continued to practise some familiar routines and songs as well as learned some new ones. They especially enjoyed playing on the playground with our EY2 friends and interacting with each other this week. All the children were incredibly brave and embraced the IB Learning Profile, Risk Taker, to try new things and meet new friends. 

Some highlights of the week have been our very popular Beading Center where the children practised their fine motor and hand eye coordination. They created some amazing pieces of jewelry and were very proud of their work.

 

 

 

We also had so much playing with the parachute for Fun Friday this week. The children were doing a great job at listening, following directions and taking turns during the various games we played together as a whole group. 

 

 

It was great seeing Mr Max in person again and spending time outside for PE classes. Our Music lesson with Mr Chris was online this week but the children really enjoyed seeing him on the big screen as well as themselves! 

Photo Gallery – Week of Jan. 17th – 21st

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Parenting Corner
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Below are some tips on how to support and understand the importance of letting your child develop at their own pace. The 5 Rules of Introducing Mark Making focuses on how we, as adults, can guide our children in their self expression and mark making experiences. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Upcoming Dates & Reminders
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Jan 25th – Remote learning day – more details to follow

*New Students: If you have not yet had the opportunity to connect to our class Seesaw. Please give this a try over the weekend. It is an online platform that we use for communicating with parents, remote learning activities as well as an online learning journal. 

Library – Great news! From next week we will be able to visit our school library. Please be sure to return your library books by Thursday so that your child is able to borrow a new one next week. 

Feb 1st – Chinese New Year: The children have already started preparing some wonderful decorations to hang around the classroom. More information to follow about celebrating this at school. 

Backpacks and Water bottles: Parents please be sure to check backpacks each day for dirty clothes, replace spare masks and refill water bottles every morning.

Thank you for your continued support this week. Wishing you all a restful and rejuvenating weekend! 

Best,

EY1 Team 😀

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Term 2 Week 2: January 17th-21st