Warm greetings from the Milky Way Class!

What an exciting and action-packed week we had! From discovering how relay teams work together to creating space planets, enjoying our splash painting, preparing for our Sports Festival, practising how to stay safe during an earthquake drill, and exploring new phonics sounds. Our young learners were busy thinking, communicating, creating, and collaborating. Let’s take a look at our wonderful week of learning!

This week, we began by watching a relay video and exploring how a relay is done. After watching, we came together for a class discussion about what makes a team successful. Students shared their ideas about roles and responsibilities within a team, as well as the importance of communication when working toward a common goal. We then moved into our third Line of Inquiry: “There are different ways to achieve common goals.”

With this in mind, students sat together with their relay teams and discussed their common goal for the upcoming relay. Of course, all three teams shared the same exciting goal: to run as fast as they can, pass the ring carefully, and work together to win the relay! Students then completed a worksheet about the different ways they could help their team achieve its common goal. They thought about how their own actions can contribute to the success of the whole team. This helped them understand that every team member has an important role to play and that achieving a goal is not only about individual performance but also about cooperation and shared responsibility.

Our teamwork learning continued in a creative way as students made a collaborative space craft! Working in pairs, students drew the eight planets using crayons and carefully wrote the name of each planet underneath. Although this was an art activity, we intentionally connected it to our Unit of Inquiry on teamwork. As they worked together, students practiced their Thinking Skills by considering questions such as, “How big should our planet be?” and “What color should we use?” They made choices, planned their drawings, and thought about how their work would become part of a larger collaborative creation. Students also strengthened their Communication Skills by sharing ideas with their partners, listening to different opinions, and using kind and respectful words. Our young learners also demonstrated Open-mindedness by being willing to listen to their partner’s ideas and consider different ways of drawing and coloring the planets. They learned that their partner may have a different idea from their own, and that being open to different perspectives can help them work together successfully.

The excitement is building as we prepare for our Sports Festival next month! The Milky Way Class has been busy practicing many important parts of the event, including our exercise dance, announcements, Players’ Oath, races, relay, and class group performance. We are especially excited that every student will have an opportunity to be an announcer during the program. This is a wonderful chance for our young learners to develop confidence, communication skills, and a sense of responsibility.

Our classroom also became a little more colorful this week! Students created their own unique Sports Festival T-shirts by splashing them with multiple colors of paint that they chose themselves. Each shirt became a reflection of the students’ creativity and individuality, and the results were absolutely amazing!

To add even more excitement to our Sports Festival preparations, students also created rocket crafts for our display. They listened carefully to the teacher’s instructions and worked step by step to complete their creations. An important part of our learning was knowing when to ask for help. Students were reminded, “If you are unsure, ask first!” Rather than guessing or continuing when they were uncertain, they practiced stopping, asking the teacher, listening to the guidance, and then continuing their work. This encouraged them to become more independent, responsible, and confident learners.

This week we had an earthquake drill without prior announcement. The drill took place at 2:30 p.m., while the students were enjoying their free time and choosing activities that interested them, such as playing with playdough or drawing.

When the earthquake alarm suddenly sounded, the students responded quickly. They immediately recognized the familiar sound and knew that it was time to protect themselves. Without waiting for further instructions, they stopped what they were doing and quickly moved under the tables. It was encouraging to see how their previous learning and practice helped them respond calmly and confidently to the alarm. When they heard the announcement that the shaking had stopped, the students quickly came out from under the tables, put on their emergency hats, and prepared to evacuate. They then followed the evacuation procedure and moved to the designated parking area. When we returned to the classroom, one student asked, “Was it only a drill?” She then added, “I thought that was real!” Her response showed just how seriously the students had taken the experience. It was also a wonderful reminder of why regular practice is so important. Because the students have become familiar with the sound of the earthquake alarm and the actions they need to take, they were able to respond almost automatically when they heard it. Their quick response demonstrated that they are beginning to understand that during an earthquake, every moment matters and staying calm and following safety procedures can help keep everyone safe.

During our closing circle, we took time to reflect on how the drill went. The students shared that they followed the O-HA-SHI-MO rules, which was wonderful to hear. It showed that they remembered the safety expectations and were able to apply their learning during the drill. At the same time, our reflection helped us notice some areas where we can improve. We talked about some actions that happened during the evacuation, such as not putting shoes on properly, becoming distracted after noticing a beetle instead of staying focused on safety, and walking without a sense of urgency. Rather than simply identifying these as mistakes, we discussed why these actions could be unsafe and what we could do differently next time. This reflection became a meaningful learning opportunity for everyone. The students were able to think about their own actions, consider how those actions can affect their safety and the safety of others, and suggest ways to improve. Through this experience, they learned that being prepared is not only about knowing the rules, it is also about staying focused, making safe choices, and taking responsibility during an emergency.

In phonics, we explored the vowel teams ui and ue. Students watched a phonics video and listened carefully to the sounds these vowel teams can make.

We focused on noticing where the vowel teams commonly appear in words. Students learned that ui can appear in the middle of words, such as fruit, juice, and suit, while ue is often found at the end of words, such as blue, glue, and clue.

After exploring the sounds together, students completed a worksheet and practiced reading the words. They used their knowledge of the vowel team sounds to help them decode unfamiliar words.

For writing, we practiced spelling words containing the vowel teams oa and ow. Students listened carefully as the words were spoken and used their Thinking Skills to decide which letters they needed to write.

This activity encouraged students to connect what they hear with what they know about sounds and spelling patterns. It also strengthened their listening, phonemic awareness, memory, and spelling skills. Most importantly, students were encouraged to think independently rather than simply copying a word.

This week, students will once again bring home a new book to practice reading with their families.

We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all our parents and families for supporting reading at home. Your encouragement makes such a meaningful difference in helping our young readers develop confidence and fluency.

Whenever students return their books, we ask them, “Did you practice reading at home?”

And we often hear a very enthusiastic, “YES!”

Then we ask, “Who did you read with?”

Their answers bring big smiles to our faces: “Mommy!” or “Daddy!”

Thank you, parents, for taking the time to sit with your children, listen to them read, encourage them when a word is tricky, and celebrate their progress. These small moments of reading together can help nurture a lifelong love of books and learning.

This week was also our last week of water play for the season. Students will no longer need to bring their pool bags, except when they have swimming at the Central Pool.

When we told the students that water play was coming to an end, some were feeling a little disappointed—which is perhaps the perfect word for that bittersweet feeling! However, there was also something exciting to look forward to: we will be going to the park again!

So while we may be saying goodbye to water play for now, new outdoor adventures are waiting for us!

We will continue singing the same set of songs throughout this month. The song list is attached here for your reference. We hope the children enjoy singing along at home, too!

Next week, we are excited to continue our learning journey with a wonderful mix of inquiry, creativity, movement, and music. Students will explore Japanese Inquiry, deepen their understanding through our Unit of Inquiry lessons, continue preparing for the Sports Festival, and enjoy their Music Lesson.

There will certainly be more opportunities for our young learners to explore, communicate, collaborate, and grow!

What a wonderful week of inquiry, teamwork, creativity, and preparation it has been in the Milky Way Class!

As we continue our journey through our Unit of Inquiry, we are reminded that every voice matters, every contribution is valuable, and working together helps us reach goals that we may not be able to achieve alone.

We hope everyone has a wonderful and restful weekend filled with happy moments, family time, and plenty of opportunities to recharge.

We look forward to another exciting week of learning together!