News / Nunn Road / 2013 / February 2013

I trust you had a wonderful time with your children during the Chinese New year celebration. When the children returned after the festive break, they talked to their friends and teachers about the many experiences they had when they were at home with you.

In the classroom, the festive activities continued.  During their free play time, the boys are playing with the Chinese New Year drum and do the lion dance in one corner, while the girls repeat the dance that the big children performed during our Chinese New Year celebration in the other corner.

This play theme will continue for sometime until it is time to prepare for the next festival celebration.  Celebrations are a way of helping children feel the rhythm of days, weeks and months in their lives. They learn how their communities live as they anticipate how each festival unfolds.

The bigger children in the class are able to ask what is next after Chinese New Year.  They recall what they did but are also looking forward to what they can do during the on-coming festivals and celebrations. During their conversations, they would mention and remember the friends who have left and the activities that they did during their time together.

The new children in the class have grown more familiar with the daily class rhythm.  One of the rhythms is the 15-minute morning circle time after snack and before outside playtime.  Children enjoy circle time as we sing action songs, do fun exercises and play games.

We sing some familiar songs and I introduce new ones from time to time. The children move and sing along together happily with the teachers.  There is so much joy in the classroom till it’s time to go for outside play.

After their outside play, we will clean them up and they will try to change on their own as much as possible. They also fold their own soiled clothing before putting them away.  We encourage you to let them be independent at home and you will be amazed at their capabilities.

The beans that the children gathered and planted during the Bean Throwing day are growing well in our vegetable patch.  You are welcome to come and share this happy experience with your child whenever you are at our garden.

Teacher Kerry will be going for her course in Bangkok for two weeks starting from the term break and will be back on the second week of April.  Teacher Stella will assist the class during her absence.
 
Teacher Nora