Hi, everyone!
Each day, we have two helpers who check our daily schedule and keep track of the time. They help lead the class during clean-up time, bathroom breaks, lunch and snack time, and transitions to our outside activities such as the park, outdoor play, gym, swimming, music class, and tennis class. This role helps students develop responsibility, become more mindful of time and the day’s schedule, and grow into confident and effective class communicators.
In our phonics lesson, we discussed the long and short diphthong “oo” sounds. The children gave examples, wrote them on the board, watched a video, and then played a sorting game. Each of them picked a word with an “oo” sound and categorized it as either a long or short vowel sound.They actively participated in the discussion and were able to recognize the difference between the two sounds. They listened carefully to the pronunciation of each word and shared their answers confidently with the class. After the sorting activity, we reviewed the words together and practiced reading them aloud to strengthen their understanding.
For our tennis lesson this week, the students began with their stretching exercises by hopping on the rings in groups. This activity helped warm up their bodies and improve their balance and coordination. After stretching, they played tennis by practicing how to hit the ball properly. They focused on holding the racket correctly, keeping their eyes on the ball, and using controlled swings. The students took turns hitting the ball and worked on their hand-eye coordination. They showed great effort and enthusiasm during the lesson and were excited to practice their tennis skills with their friends.
VALENTINE’S CRAFT
This weekend is Valentine’s Day ♡ When we asked the children what kind of day it is, they shared answers such as, “It’s the day when boys give chocolate to girls,” and “It’s the day when friends exchange sweets.”
After reading the book “Celebrating Valentine’s Day,” they learned that in Western countries, it is a day to give cards, sweets, and gifts to people they care about, such as family members, friends, and teachers. Ms. Aiza also told us how this special day is celebrated in her home country, the Philippines.
The children decided to make cards for someone special to them. Using the expressions they learned in their writing lessons, they wrote heartfelt messages to express their feelings. On the cover of their cards, they cut out their favorite shapes and created a special design where sparkling beads appear when pressed by hand.
We hope the heartfelt cards the children made with so much love have safely reached their special someone! 💌
JAPANESE LESSON
In our Japanese lesson, the children learned how to say, “My name is ___” and “I am ___ years old.” We played a fun activity where they walked around to music, and when the music stopped, they paired up and introduced themselves in Japanese. It felt fresh and exciting to speak Japanese with friends they usually talk to in English! The Rainforest children were very polite, bowing to each other and saying, “Nice to meet you.”
After that, they practiced writing the character “fu” (ふ) in their workbooks. There is only one more character left to complete in the workbook! The children were surprised at how many characters they have already learned, saying, “We’re almost finished!” They have also become very good at writing their own names.
Snow play
On Monday, we took the bus to the park and enjoyed playing in the snow. The children had so much fun making footprints in the fresh, untouched snow and creating snow angels by moving their arms and legs back and forth.
Underneath the piled-up snow, they discovered a thick layer of hard ice. Even in the cold weather, they made many exciting discoveries and fully enjoyed their winter adventure.
Have a great weekend! See you all next week!
