This week, the children enjoyed a hands-on learning experience exploring where some of the dairy products we enjoy every day come from.
The children, who have already watched a video on where milk comes from, had the opportunity to experience cow milking for themselves from the set up of the Chushin Livestock and Diary Center at school. Under the close supervision and guidance of their teachers and the personnel, each child took a turn gently pressing the teat of a dummy cow, allowing them to see how milk is collected.
As they waited for their turn, a bottle of milk was passed around to be shaken. After the bottle completely went around three times, they saw a very thick substance forming on its surface. This substance was sieved. They were amazed and excited to discover this was butter and that milk can be used to make it. Each each had a box of milk for the savour for snack.
The experience provided a wonderful opportunity for the children to connect what they see in shops and at home with where these foods actually come from. They kept discussing the experience among themselves and the observations they made asking where the eyes of the cow were. It was such a memorable experience.
Playing with mud have been prevalent this week. The children, knowing what was expected of them, wasted no time getting ready. This time, some served pretend food. We heard voices such as “Look, curry and rice”, this is miso soup, coffee shop, ramen and chocolate cake. They shared the play things carefully and resolved one misunderstanding that arose about sharing a scoop of mud. Seeing them interact this way makes it clear how well they are improving upon their social skills.
We headed to the gym to practise our song, dance, movements, races and script for the Sports Festival in September. They had already started rehearsing this in the classroom but they did one at the gym to have some clarity of how the activities will run on that day. The children worked hard to learn where to stand, how to move, and when to perform each part.
Everyone had lots of fun, with plenty of smiles and giggles throughout the rehearsal. Although some were a little tired afterwards, they did their very best. We rest assured that they will become even more confident and familiar with the routines before the big day!
The songs we have been singing during our music lessons came to a close this week, and we are excited anticipating some new ones! The learners sat in two rows, creating enough space to use their wooden sticks safely. They practiced the different timings, the teacher had demonstrated to them, for tapping the sticks on the floor to create particular rhythms. They enjoyed practising along and keeping the beat. There were moments when some of the children lost the timing but with some slight support they were back on track.
The learners also explored rhythm using their feet. Depending on the musical note shown on their cards, they created different rhythms by tapping or moving their feet accordingly. It was a fun and engaging way for them to develop their sense of timing, rhythm and musical awareness.
We look forward to more exciting moments next week.
