Year Groups 

Global citizenship in Nursery starts with the Nursery environment and builds the foundations of our community through strong relationships and connections with school and home. We celebrate the uniqueness of our international learners and the cultures and perspectives they bring to school with them. Each child has a family photo album in the classroom and we encourage them to be communicators and share these with their teachers and peers. They offer a real connection to home, in the moment and for comfort. They also open the door for conversations that spark curiosity to inquire about others.

We incorporate the Care Movement into our daily routines focusing on each area. Care for self - managing belongings and routines independently, healthy eating, personal hygiene and mindfulness, Care for others - taking turns, sharing, asking ‘How are you?’, greeting each other and saying goodbye, helping each other and working in a team. Care for the world - looking after our school environment, tidying up and recycling. This has extended into our current unit of inquiry where each child has planted a seed and is taking responsibility for looking after it and its needs; water, air and warmth in the hope that it will grow into a seedling. 

Following the learner’s lead we decided to taste different beans. Families prepared and sent in bean dishes that they enjoy at home. The learners were open-minded and risk-takers when trying dishes that were new to them. We tasted mung bean salad, kidney bean curry, kidney bean cutlets, fava bean chips, red bean pau and turtle beans.

In Kindergarten we build on the foundations of our unit of inquiry, Who We Are, from the start of the year to understand more about where we come from and what makes us different but also the same.  The learners are encouraged to share from their own experiences as we learn and play together each day.  The authentic nature of this leads us back to the different global connections we have as we share what foods we enjoy, how we explore, how we celebrate and many more learning opportunities. 

In Kindergarten we come from twenty one different parts of the globe, according to our passports.  We connect to many more places in the world through our families, and frequently share stories from different countries that celebrate our diversity.  We wonder how many different parts of the world you connect to?  What celebrations or traditions have you taken on from another part of the globe? 

Our current unit of inquiry exploring ‘Celebrations are a form of expression’ is now in full swing. The learners are thoroughly enjoying learning more about the celebrations important to them and how these are similar and different to those of their friends. It is wonderful to see the learners being so open-minded, a Learner Profile attribute we are focusing on, and developing their understanding and appreciation of Global Citizenship through authentic conversations. 

Last week, we researched Hari Raya and Ramadan in greater depth. Many of the children had visited cultural events taking place around Singapore, such as Geylang Serai, and were eager to share their experiences in class. The learners worked collaboratively to research and find facts about this celebration, which will help them make comparisons between the different celebrations we will explore in the rest of the unit. This week we turned our attention to a favourite topic in Year 1 - birthday celebrations! During ‘Discover and Discuss,’ the learners shared photos and videos of their own birthday traditions. They made connections with how different cultures celebrate and had fun learning the "Happy Birthday" song in a number of different languages. 

Every learner should be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and the attitudes necessary to navigate our rapidly changing world. In Year 2 we aim to empower our learners to become global citizens who are aware of and engaged in the world around them. 

By using the learner profile attributes together with the Care Movement we support our learners to be internationally minded. Being open-minded, making sure we listen and respect other people's viewpoints gives a strong starting point where we are able to develop their curiosity. Sharing ideas on ways we can be caring, and in doing so aim to be great communicators. We encourage the learners to display the learner profile attributes at any given moment. Whether they are on the playground showing they are caring, or by being risk takers as they make good choices and try something new in their learning. 

Our current line of inquiry looking at how ‘Ideas, cultures and values are reflected in stories’ has been a wonderful array of the learners working collaboratively in groups, discussing different cultures and exploring stories from Australia, and Africa; encouraging them to be communicators and thinkers. We strive to support our learners to develop a strong foundation of global citizenship and international mindedness, that will serve them well throughout their learning journeys. 

As a PYP school, we strive to cultivate global citizenship and support our learners in becoming internationally-minded individuals. In Year 3, we have developed a number of approaches to promote cultural awareness and appreciation, as well as encourage our students to embrace diversity and practise the Learner Profile attributes.

One way we achieve this is through our units of inquiry. For example, in the 'Culture is Reflected Through the Arts' unit, our learners explored their own and other cultures through various art forms. They gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of different cultures, and learned to celebrate diversity. Similarly, we explore different religious holidays, such as Ramadan, to foster cultural awareness and understanding.

Another example we take is through our upcoming unit, which will explore how individuals are shaped by their environment. This will enable our learners to understand how different parts of the world operate in unfamiliar ways, and to explore different homes, schools and games that are important to different cultures.

We also promote the Learner Profile attributes, and provide opportunities for our learners to practice them. For example, during our recent mini-exhibition, our students presented their inquiry projects on natural landforms, demonstrating their skills as risk-takers, open-minded individuals, and strong communicators.

We believe that by fostering an environment of cultural awareness and appreciation, and by promoting the Learner Profile attributes, we can nurture globally-minded learners who are ready to take on the challenges of an increasingly interconnected world.

In Year 4 we encourage our learners to develop an understanding of themselves and how they influence the world around them.

  We may not be able to change the whole world yet, but we can all make a difference in our own worlds - our environment, our family, our friends, our classmates and the wider community.  

Over the academic year, it has been encouraging to see the growth in leadership skills,  innovation,  resilience, managing change, eagerness to support others,  empathy and a sense of responsibility among our learners. Nurturing a sense of respect is built into the Nexus 'RECIPE'.  These shared values are regularly reviewed, and our learners are encouraged to actively help build our community through care, compassion and consideration for others.  Alongside developing their social awareness and responsibility towards their immediate environments, learners have had the opportunity to explore some global issues through our Units of Inquiry. Issues such as inequalities in people's access to clean water, child labour in clothing factories in some parts of the world and the power of recycling have raised interest in issues that affect others around the world. 

We are proud of the actions that our learners take every day to help make their school a happy, safe and inspiring environment in which to learn. I hope that these skills and their growing understanding of the world will equip them to become global citizens who will continue to make a positive difference.

Through our learning engagement and opportunities, learners are constantly making connections and growing their understanding of themselves as global citizens. 

Year 5 learners have just finished our unit of inquiry focused on the central idea of 'People can promote awareness through creative action'. Every learner chose a target connected to one of the UN Global goals. The purpose of this engagement is to raise awareness and persuade others to reflect, care and take action. 

By applying their research skills learners have thought deeply and critically about problems that exist and the impact of these on people and our environment. They have become more aware of how people are already using creative and innovative problem solving to try and work towards achieving these goals.  It has been fantastic to hear learners sharing how individuals and groups of people are currently contributing. This research has supported them in developing their own ideas for action. 

Some of these include: 

Life on Land: Choose products that are from sustainably sources, consider how my life and leisure impacts ecosystems and biodiversity, choose an endangered animal to find out more about and support.

No Poverty: Give your time to help with food preparation (Willing Hearts), contribute to charities and collections such as Soles for Souls shoe collection.

Life Below Water: Do your own beach clean up, reduce plastic consumption and waste, choose seafood and shell fish from sustainable sources. 

Clean Water and Sanitation: Refrain from using too much water, help other communities to design safe water gardens (Loola-Bintan)

Gender Equality: Value and respect every individual and their differences, being inclusive when playing games and learning collaboratively, encouraging and supporting everyone to achieve success. 

You could also: donate to a charity of your choice, design posters to persuade others & raise awareness, use your creativity to make something that you could sell and donate your sales, write magazine articles or stories, spread the word and tell others.

Year 5 would like to encourage all of our Nexus community members to take action. 

"What you do makes a difference, you just have to decide what kind of difference you want to make"  Jane Goodall.

The Year 6 Exhibition is now officially underway, and our learners are excitedly exploring a wide range of inquiry opportunities that cover a diverse range of topics such as food technology, environmental issues, science, and personal growth. With guidance from their teachers and inspiration from the Nexus CARE initiative, they are exploring how to care for themselves, others, and the world while building their confidence and discovering their unique strengths.

As part of this inquiry process, the learners are developing their own inquiry questions and finding resources to answer them. They are also considering how they can take action to make a positive impact in their communities and the wider world. This process of inquiry and action is an essential part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme, which encourages learners to become active, caring, and lifelong learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others.

Alongside their inquiry work, learners are also encouraged to participate in the expert wall, where parents and community members can add their names and areas of expertise. This way, the learners can reach out to experts who can help them gain deeper insights and perspectives on their chosen inquiry topics. Here is the link to the Parent Expert Wall if you would be willing to contribute to an individual inquiry.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vNr-ZDmZIUYZ4eIpu1vAzLUwbpHdzaxeSVLX_L1emaY/edit?usp=sharing

Please also remember that we welcome you to visit us on Friday afternoon from 1:30 pm until 2:15pm as we reflect on the week that has been, and plan for the next. Email your child's teacher if you would like to join us.

We are excited to see the learners grow and develop their understanding of themselves, their communities, and the world around them as they progress through this inquiry process. As always, if you have any questions, please keep in contact with your child's teacher.