K1 Dolphin Class

Photographers in Training Last week we delved into the artistic pursuit of photography. We started by asking a big question:   What is a photographer? We looked at the very first camera, which was a long, long time ago! We learnt that the first cameras worked very slowly so people had to sit incredibly still to ensure there were no blurry effects when the photo was developed. We also found out that not many people had cameras at first, but now everyone in the class had access to one on their parents' mobile phones. We looked at how cameras started off bigger than us, and how they changed in size and shape as technology developed.   We learned that photos aren't just pretty pictures; they can   tell a story , show us different   styles , or capture something truly   beautiful or interesting.  We even brainstormed some amazing things we'd love to photograph: sharks, beautiful paintings, unicorns and princesses, our holidays, and of course, our wonderful ...

Dear Parents and Caregivers, As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, I am excited to share that the children have been learning about the various celebrations associated with this event.  We have explored traditional customs through the stories of “端午节” (Dragon Boat Festival), including the delightful sticky rice dumplings (粽子) and the thrilling dragon boat race (龙舟比赛).  The children particularly enjoyed playing with the dragon headbands they crafted themselves. To reinforce key vocabulary, the children have been sitting in the "dragon boat" and singing the song "划龙舟" (Row the Dragon Boat) together in class and small groups.  This week, we delved deeper into the festival's origins and created a fun experience by imitating a dragon boat race with tummy boards! It has truly been a highlight of our learning journey. Wishing you and your families a joyful and healthy Dragon Boat Festival! If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to m...

Exploring Visual Art Painting Key 1. The Persistence of Memory - Dali 2. Sunflowers - Van Gogh 3. Water Lilies - Monet 4. The Great Wave (off Kanagawa) - Hokusai 5. The Scream - Munch 6. Starry Night - Van Gogh As both classes had voted to take a deeper dive into visual arts, we begun by featuring a collection of famous paintings into our learning areas and circle time. In one of our circle times, we looked at 5 very different paintings and reflected on how they made us feel, our observations and any questions that popped up about each piece. We were particularly taken by Starry Night and The Great Wave. In Starry Night we reflected on our first reaction to the painting, the week before. We remained fascinated by the large black shape at the forefront of the painting, that could be anything from a bush to a witches castle. In the Great Wave, we were interested in the mountain or volcano in the background. One child opined that it was a good thing there was snow on the volcano as it wou...

Dear Parents and Caregivers, I am thrilled to share some wonderful updates from our classroom over the past few weeks!  As part of our unit on "How We Express Ourselves," we had the privilege of welcoming Fai Shi Fu, the puppetry master, who captivated our students with a mesmerising performance featuring string puppets. The children not only enjoyed the show but also learned about the rich history and theory behind the puppets' movements. Their engagement with the monkey's tricks was a joy to see, and many were eager to try their hand at moving the little lion puppets . Furthermore,  we began by exploring the vibrant world of colours. Through the engaging story of "The Yellow Dot" (小黄点), the children learned about the three primary colours and patterns. Building on this foundation, we expanded our vocabulary with colour terms such as "green" (绿色), "orange" (橙色), "purple" (紫色), and more through the story of "The Colourful D...