Hello everyone! What a meaningful week we had in Savanna Class! 🌱💖 The children explored the traditions of Japanese Children’s Day, practiced important safety rules during our earthquake and fire drill, and created wonderful memories with their elementary friends at Gojo Campus. From asking curious questions to holding hands with their older friends and sharing a special song, each experience brought opportunities to learn, connect, and grow together. Let’s take a look at the highlights of our week! 🎏🚒🤝
This week, we continued exploring Japanese celebrations through Children’s Day. We invited the children to share what they already knew about this special celebration and discovered their ideas about its traditions, symbols, and foods. The children connected Children’s Day to koinobori (carp streamers) and shared their thoughts about the foods they enjoy. We also explored kashiwamochi, a traditional rice cake wrapped in an oak leaf. This sparked curiosity, with one child wondering, “Can we eat that leaf?” What a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and discover more about Japanese traditions! Through our discussions, the children practiced sharing ideas, listening to their friends, and making connections to their own experiences as they deepened their understanding of Japanese celebrations.
In our phonics lesson, we began exploring short /i/ CVC words with the -ip word family, including lip, dip, hip, rip, sip, and zip. To help the children recognize letters and blend sounds, we enjoyed a hands-on activity called “Build It, Say It!” First, the children used playdough to form the letters i and p, practicing the sound of each letter. Then, the teacher showed them a picture, and the children used their playdough to add the beginning letter to complete the CVC word. They pointed to each letter and blended the sounds to read the word aloud. The excitement was contagious! Every time the children correctly identified and built a word, they cheered, “Yehey!” with big smiles and happy voices. 🎉 It was wonderful to see their growing confidence and enthusiasm as they practiced their phonics skills through playful, hands-on learning.
On Thursday, we participated in our earthquake and fire drill, practicing how to respond safely during an emergency. Before the drill, we could hear fire truck sirens outside. We learned that the firefighters were responding to an actual emergency and helping someone in the community. Unfortunately, they were unable to visit our school as planned to talk with the children about fire safety. We also reviewed important Japanese emergency safety rules to help us remember what to do during an earthquake or fire. The children learned “O-Ha-Shi-Mo-Te”, which reminds us:
- O – Osanai: Do not push.
- Ha – Hashiranai: Do not run.
- Shi – Shaberanai: Do not talk.
- Mo – Modoranai: Do not go back.
- Te – Te o kuchi ni: Cover your mouth with your hand.
These simple rules help children remember how to stay safe, follow instructions, and move calmly during an emergency. Although we missed meeting our special visitors, the experience reminded us of the important role firefighters play in keeping our community safe. We hope to have another opportunity to welcome them to our school in the future!
One of the highlights of our week was our playdate at Gojo Elementary Campus, together with the Shooting Star students from Minami! The children enjoyed participating in activities with their elementary school friends, holding hands and helping one another along the way. Having the children’s parents join us made the experience even more meaningful. It was wonderful to see everyone sharing smiles, making connections, and creating special memories together.
To express our gratitude, the children made thank-you cards for their elementary friends. We also sang our favorite morning song, “Yesterday’s Dream,” as a special thank-you to the elementary students and their parents for welcoming us and spending this wonderful time with us.
From discovering Japanese traditions to practicing safety skills and building friendships across school communities, this week was filled with meaningful learning experiences. Each activity encouraged the children to remain curious, care for others, and strengthen their sense of connection and belonging. Thank you to our Savanna families and Gojo Elementary friends for being part of our learning journey. We look forward to more discoveries, friendships, and wonderful memories in Savanna class! 💖
This is the song we will sing and dance to at our Halloween Party! It’s one of the children’s favorite songs, so we hope you enjoy singing and dancing to it at home, too!
