Hello everyone!
This week, we began Unit 4: “Celebrations.” To spark curiosity, the teacher surprised the Shooting Star students with balloons and asked, “When do you see balloons?” The students excitedly shared their ideas: “When we have a birthday party!” “At Christmas!” “On Valentine’s Day!”
We then sang our introduction song from the Sports Festival, “Celebrate Good Times, Come On! It’s a Celebration!” The guessing game ended when one student confidently announced, “It’s a celebration!” Shortly after, we discussed what the students celebrated this month which is the New Year and they happily shared how they celebrated with their families.
To continue the celebration, the Milky Way and Shooting Star students came together to enjoy traditional Japanese New Year games such as kendama, karuta, koma, and fukuwarai. The Milky Way students showed great care and kindness by helping the Shooting Star students read the karuta cards and wrap the strings around the spinning tops. Laughter filled the room as everyone played fukuwarai and created funny faces. We also enjoyed lunch and playtime together, making it a truly wonderful and memorable experience. We hope to have more opportunities for collaborative play with other classes in the future.
The next day, we explored our Central Idea:
“Celebrations around the world help people come together and feel happy.”
The students reflected on questions such as What is a celebration? Who do you celebrate with? How and why do you celebrate? Their ideas were thoughtful and joyful: celebrations are about having fun, being with family and friends, playing games, eating lots of food, and feeling happy. They shared that we celebrate because it makes us happy.
To assess their understanding of Japanese celebrations, students walked around the classroom, observed photos displayed on the tables, and shared what they noticed. They were able to name several celebrations and talk about their own experiences. This week, our main focus was Japanese New Year. Ms. Ayako introduced various New Year objects, and the students did an excellent job naming them. They were very familiar with kagami mochi, otoshidama, nengajo, and osechi, and eagerly shared their experiences with each one. They also listened to a story and learned why people decorate shimenawa and kagami mochi during the New Year.
In addition to classroom learning, the Shooting Star students were especially happy this week because they visited Shonai Park twice. Since we did not have gym lessons, we took the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air, nature, and beautiful weather. The students loved flying kites in the wide open space and spent plenty of time running around and playing on the playground. It was a fun and refreshing experience for everyone.
Looking ahead, next week we have two important events: the Swimming Open Day and the Birthday Party on Monday. We hope you won’t miss them! Overall, it was a joyful and enriching week for everyone. The Shooting Star students showed great enthusiasm, curiosity, and kindness as they learned about celebrations in Japan and around the world, spent time with friends from other classes, and enjoyed outdoor play in nature. We look forward to continuing this exciting unit and to sharing more memorable moments together. Thank you for your continued support!
