Dear Milky Way Families,
What happens when a tower falls, teammates disagree, and a plan does not quite work? We think, we reflect, we try again, and we learn! This week, our Milky Way learners discovered that teamwork is not about getting everything right the first time. It is about planning together, listening to different ideas, solving problems, reflecting on our experiences, and finding new ways to achieve a shared goal.
We also spent most of our time preparing for our Sports Festival 2026! Through our practices, students have been putting their teamwork learning into action every day. It has been wonderful to see the students grow in confidence as they support each other, take responsibility for their roles, and work together towards a common goal.
As part of our Unit of Inquiry, How We Organize Ourselves, we continued exploring how teamwork helps people achieve common goals. This week, we particularly focused on planning by thinking of different ways to achieve a goal and reflecting on each teamwork experience.
Our first challenge was to build the tallest tower using wooden blocks. Before beginning, each team was given time to sit together and discuss their strategy. They had to think about questions such as: How will we build our tower? Who will do what? How can we make our tower strong? Once the teams had planned their strategies, every team received the same number of wooden blocks and the challenge began! Each team approached the challenge differently, and this gave us a wonderful opportunity to observe authentic teamwork in action.
One team concentrated on making their tower as tall as possible. One teammate became the main builder while the others passed the blocks to her and encouraged her by cheering. When we asked why only one student was building, the team explained that she was very good at carefully placing the blocks on top of one another. Unfortunately, when the tower was almost finished, its foundation became shaky and the tower fell down!
Another team showed thoughtful planning by creating a strong foundation first because they understood that a stable base would help their tower stand. However, they did not communicate effectively with their teammates, and this eventually led to a conflict. Rather than simply seeing the conflict as something negative, we used it as an authentic opportunity to explore how disagreements can be resolved through listening, respectful communication, taking turns, and considering other people’s ideas.
The third team discussed how they wanted to build their tower, but one teammate appeared to take over the task and did not really consider the ideas of the others. In the end, the team spent so much time trying to direct the process that they did not manage to build their tower. These different experiences became powerful learning moments for our young inquirers.
We came together to reflect:
What went well?
What did not work well?
How did we communicate?
Did everyone have a chance to contribute?
What could we change next time?
Through reflection, students began to understand that there can be many different ways to approach the same goal. Sometimes a strategy works, and sometimes we need to rethink it. We then had another opportunity to put our learning into practice by building a house with blocks. This time, the process was intentional: plan together, build together, and reflect together.
Throughout these activities, students developed their Approaches to Learning skills. They practiced social skills by working cooperatively with their teammates and remaining open-minded towards different ideas. They strengthened their communication skills by sharing their thinking and listening to others. They also developed thinking skills by comparing strategies, identifying problems, making decisions, evaluating what worked and what did not, and considering how they could improve their approach.
After our teamwork activities, we intentionally brought our attention back to our common goal for Sports Festival 2026.
Our goal is:
To do our best, have fun, and make our parents proud of us.
We had a short recap of the different roles and responsibilities that help make our Sports Festival successful. Students thought about the ways they can contribute, including being a program announcer, participating in the gauze dance performance, helping with the parents’ game, leading the exercise dance, and taking on other important responsibilities. Students then completed an individual worksheet where they identified their own role and responsibility for Sports Festival 2026 and thought about ways they can achieve their goal.
This was a meaningful connection between our UOI learning and our everyday experiences. We reminded the students that teamwork is not something we only talk about during UOI, it is something we can practice every time we work together. During our Sports Festival practices, we continue to remind ourselves to communicate, listen, encourage one another, take responsibility, and do our best.
In Phonics, our young Thinkers became sound detectives as we explored the consonant digraph “sh.” To begin our inquiry, the teacher displayed pictures of a shark and a fish. Students shared what they could see and said the words together. The teacher then wrote the words on the board and asked:
“What do you notice?”
The students quickly noticed something interesting and answered with excitement:
“Both words have S and H!”
We then wondered what sounds these two letters make when they come together. A few students confidently answered “shhh,” while placing a finger over their mouths. To practice listening for the sound, we played a thumbs-up and thumbs-down game. The teacher showed a picture and said the word. If students heard the “sh” sound, they gave a thumbs up. If they did not hear it, they gave a thumbs down. After our oral and listening practice, students applied their learning independently by completing a worksheet. Throughout the activity, students were developing their thinking skills by noticing patterns, making connections between letters and sounds, and using what they already knew to identify the new sound.
For Writing, students practiced writing words containing the “sh” consonant digraph. As they wrote, we continued to encourage them to pay attention to letter formation, size, spacing, and placement on the line. We are beginning to see positive growth in their handwriting. Students are becoming more consistent in writing words correctly, their writing is becoming more readable, and many are showing greater awareness of staying on the line and forming letters carefully. This learning also connected with our Learner Profile attribute of being Reflective. Students were encouraged to look at their own writing, notice what they did well, and think about what they could improve the next time they write.
During Japanese inquiry time, the Milky Way class learned about Go, Grow, and Glow foods.
We also played a fun game where we filled red, yellow, and green trains with different foods! 🚂🌈
As they played, the children thought carefully about questions like, “Which color group does this food belong to?” and “What role do foods in this group play in our bodies?” Through the game, they had lots of opportunities to think, share their ideas, and learn in a fun way.
At lunchtime that day, we heard a wonderful conversation:
“Which group does miso soup belong to?”
“Isn’t it red because it’s made from soybeans?!”
The following day, one child excitedly told us, “Yesterday, I told my dad that the salmon he ate was part of the red group!”
It was wonderful to see how the children were connecting what they learned in class with their everyday lives at home. ✨
We also had a wonderful time enjoying mud play with our friends! There were plenty of muddy hands, muddy clothes, big smiles, and lots of laughter! The students used their imagination as they explored and created with the mud. They enjoyed making their own creations and proudly showing them to their friends. As they shared what they had made, they were also naturally practicing their communication skills, explaining their ideas, listening to their friends, and responding to one another. And yes, they certainly got muddy! But that was all part of the fun. After playtime, everyone washed their bodies and came back clean, refreshed, and happy. The students also enjoyed spending time playing in the schoolyard. Some students had fun exploring the play structure, walking up the ramp, and going back down the stairs. Meanwhile, others were busy looking for snails and roly-polies. They excitedly shared their discoveries with their friends and carefully observed the little creatures they found. It was wonderful to see the students enjoying the fresh air, moving their bodies, exploring their surroundings, and learning through play. Their curiosity, laughter, and excitement made the schoolyard a lively and joyful place to be!
We have attached again the song that we sing in class. We would love to encourage you to listen to it together with your child at home. You might even find your little one teaching you the actions!
We have also attached a video of our Milky Way students singing “TEAMWORK MAKES US STRONG.” We hope you enjoy watching and singing along with your child at home.
This week reminded us that learning happens not only when children succeed, but also when they encounter challenges, reflect on their experiences, and discover new ways to move forward. Our little learners are learning that when we plan together, communicate with kindness, listen to different perspectives, and keep trying, we can achieve wonderful things together.
We have another exciting week ahead! Next week, we are looking forward to:
🎂 Birthday Party
🏊 Swimming Lesson
🏃 Sports Festival Rehearsal
🌾 Rice Harvesting
🎵 Music Lesson
We are excited to continue learning, exploring, and growing together!
Wishing all our Milky Way families a relaxing, joyful, and refreshing weekend! Please enjoy some special time together, and we look forward to seeing our wonderful learners again next week.
Have a beautiful weekend!
