Hello everyone!

We had another fun week as we continued to learn about communities in our UOI, celebrated our birthday with friends, played outside, and made setsubun crafts.

UOI

This week, we had an exciting lesson about roles in our school community and how to navigate using maps. We started with a lively discussion about the roles in school, such as teachers, students, office. The students then participated in a fun role quiz where they guessed the correct school role based on a description.

Next, we went on a walk around the school with each team using a map. The students worked together to identify where we were and where we were heading, learning not only about the school’s layout but also how to read a map.

After our walk, we reviewed the areas we explored and talked about their purpose. The students then worked in teams to create a large map of the school, using their observations from the walk. They labeled the areas and teachers working in the classes.

This lesson helped the students understand the roles that make our school community work while also introducing them to map-reading skills in a fun and hands-on way.

Outside play

We played different games outside in the nice weather. We did a memory game where the students had to remember the teacher’s movements and copy them. The moves would get longer and more complex as the game went on.

Setsubun crafts

Setsubun is around the corner, so we made some demon masks and demon dolls using paper plates and cups.

Birthday party

We celebrated the birthdays of three of our friends in January. They bravely answered questions in front of the entire school. Later that day, we enjoyed some delicious cheesecake for our afternoon snack.

Monthly song

Our monthly song for January is called “This Friendly World.”

The song “This Friendly World” is a gentle, nostalgic tune that celebrates kindness, connection, and the beauty of living in harmony with others. Originally recorded by Fabian in 1959, its optimistic lyrics evoke a sense of warmth and simplicity. This is the version we are using to sing the song:

Andy Kaufman, known for his eccentric and performance-art-inspired approach to entertainment, gave a memorable rendition of this song in his work. We sing this version together for fun, too.

Thank you for reading, and see you again next week!