Hello, everyone! I hope you have had a great week! The temperatures have finally seemed to cool down a little bit this week, to everyone’s excitement. The students were able to do their P.E. in the school yard a few times this week, and we have also had a few rainy afternoons, which we were happy to use to stay in, rest and relax in our classroom. 😃

We have also been working on “cooling down” our minds as well by trying simple meditation techniques in the classroom. Meditation is proven to lower stress levels in children, help them control their emotions, and improve their focus. In the class, we’re trying to use it to help students set their goals (intentions) for the day. The students’ reaction was mostly positive, although some expressed their worry about being able to relax with certain smells, sounds or without their own pillows. We’ll keep trying in the future as well. 🌱

We have started inquiring into our new UOI; “Natural Phenomena”, with the Central Idea being “Understanding the constant changes in nature makes us better organized”. We started off by thinking of what we already knew about natural phenomena and discussing what we would like to learn more about. The students posed interesting questions which will shape this Unit’s Lines of Inquiry. We spent time visiting the library and trying to find books on the topic, and planning simple experiments we can try our hand at. 🧪

The students have recently been fighting hard for their houses in order to earn as many points as possible. They seem more and more motivated to help teachers with various tasks, and have even started discussions on strategy. Their teacher is currently focused on using the point system to motivate students to use more and more English. October’s Sports Day will be a great chance to earn more points and the students seem motivated to prepare an amazing dance and Mario Kart race for everyone. Let’s support them together! Have a great weekend! ☀️