EYES NEWS

Early Years

EY Independence Day Celebration

Written by Ms. Asti and Ms. Valerina

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

On 16 August 2024, we joyfully celebrated Indonesia's 79th Independence Day. All the children looked charming in their batik outfits. The celebration began with a lively and solemn flag ceremony at Wayang Piazza. Stanley from K2 served as the ceremony leader, Cantya, Freija, and Jasmint proudly raised the flag, while Liam enthusiastically recited the Pancasila, which was echoed by all the participants. All the friends from Infant, Toddler, Nursery, Pre-K, K1, and K2 participated in the ceremony with enthusiasm.

After the ceremony, the excitement grew even more!

The Nursery children raced to move flags quickly in the flag racing activity and had fun transferring balls in the scoop rice ball game. The Pre-K friends were just as excited! They played clothes pin tags with their parents and assembled hero puzzles. Everyone played happily at the colourful Wayang Piazza.

The K1 friends faced exciting challenges! They balanced while moving balls in the napkin ball fun game and competed in the water cup relay. Meanwhile, the K2 friends joyfully jumped in the sack race and raced to transfer water with sponges in the water sponge relay at the mini soccer field.

Wow, all the games were so lively! The children played with great enthusiasm, worked together, and laughed joyfully. The parents also cheered, making the atmosphere even more festive. Sportsmanship was instilled from an early age, and those who didn't win were encouraged to keep their spirits high and continue having fun with happy hearts. “Merdeka!”

Toddler Mathematics

Written by Ms. Ann

In our Toddler class, children are introduced to the basic concepts of "big" and "small" through engaging, hands-on maths activities. These activities are designed to help toddlers understand size differences in a fun and interactive way.

One activity involves sorting objects of various sizes. Children are provided with a mix of large and small items, such as balls, and are encouraged to group them by size. This simple sorting task not only teaches size comparison but also aids in developing fine motor skills and critical thinking.

Another engaging activity involves reading the picture book titled "Big Feet." As we read the story, toddlers are encouraged to actively participate by stomping their feet and walking across sheets of paper. This creates a trail of colourful footprints, highlighting the differences between their big and small feet. In addition to this, the class explored size differences through art by painting a large sun using both small and large starfruit.

Nursery Music

Written by Ms. Melissa

During the first two weeks of nursery lessons, the children embark on an engaging musical journey designed to introduce them to basic rhythm and coordination skills. Each lesson will start with the "Hello Song”, a fun and interactive way to greet each other and establish a welcoming atmosphere. Singing this song regularly helps the children become comfortable with the routine and encourages a sense of belonging and participation within the group.

In addition to singing, the children will explore the use of percussion instruments, which they will play in time with the song. This activity is not only enjoyable but also essential for developing their sense of rhythm and timing. By learning to tap the castanets in sync with the music, the children practise coordinating their hand movements and understanding the concept of beat.

The music lessons also feature a variety of movement activities that integrate clapping, stomping, and body movements in response to the music. These activities are designed to enhance the children’s motor skills, rhythm, and body awareness. Clapping and stomping help them learn to follow rhythmic patterns while moving their bodies to the beat encourages creativity and self-expression. Overall, these activities aim to create a joyful and interactive environment where children can build foundational music skills, develop coordination, and enjoy the pleasures of making music together.

PreK Chinese Language

Written by Ms. Zhou

     在中文课上，Pre-K小朋友们学习了家庭成员的称呼，并通过有趣的故事和儿歌，进一步巩固了这些词汇。你看，我们的课堂活动丰富多彩：孩子们给爸爸“剪头发”，给妈妈“贴花花”，还亲手为妈妈制作了漂亮的项链。通过这些动手动脑的活动，小朋友们不仅锻炼了动手能力，还用简单的中文句子进行表达。此外，我们还通过听故事和互动游戏，为孩子们创设了一个轻松愉快的语言环境。在潜移默化中，小朋友们逐渐习惯用中文交流，勇敢地开口讲中文。

In our Chinese class, our Pre-K children embarked on a delightful journey of learning family members' names, bringing these words to life through captivating stories and playful songs. Our classroom buzzed with creativity and joy as the children pretended to give their dads a "haircut," adorned their moms with colourful stickers, and lovingly crafted beautiful necklaces. These hands-on activities not only nurtured their fine motor skills but also encouraged them to use simple Chinese phrases with growing confidence. Through storytelling and interactive play, we cultivated a warm and inviting language environment where the children gradually began to embrace speaking Chinese with courage and enthusiasm.

K1 Understanding The World

Written by Ms. Lorely

Term 1 focuses on the big idea, “Our Healthy Body”. It has been three weeks since we began emphasising how food and nutrition support this theme, as reflected in our gratitude letter below.

Dearest Healthy Body,

         We are so grateful for you and everything you do for us!  In class, we've been learning all about how to keep you strong and happy. 

Thank you, 👀, for letting us see the bright colours inside our snack box. You make our food look so delicious and help us enjoy the vibrant fruits and veggies that help us grow big and strong.

Thank you, 🦻🦻, for letting us hear the satisfying crunch of the fresh snacks that Mom packed for us and the refreshing sound of water as we drank it. You remind us to stay hydrated and eat the foods that keep us healthy!

Thank you, 👃, for smelling the sweet scents of cookies, cupcakes, and jellies. You let us know when a special treat is on the way, and remind us that sometimes, we deserve a little something extra.😋

Thank you, 👅, for being our tasting buddy. You let us savour the yumminess of bread and pasta, the sweetness of fruits, and the delicious flavour of milk and juice. Eating well is so much fun with you!

Thank you, 👐, for helping us eat our meals properly and safely. You make sure we avoid anything sharp, and you help us enjoy every bite during mealtime.

Thank you, tummy, for taking all the good foods we chew and turning them into energy. You help us play, learn, and have fun all day long!

And thank you, 🧠, for teaching us about our senses and the importance of a well-balanced diet. You help us remember to choose the best nutrition that makes us strong, smart, and happy.

          To our healthy body, we promise to keep taking care of you.  We’ll eat lots of 🍓🍇and 🥕🥒, 

drink plenty of water, and always listen to our senses.  We love learning about how to keep you feeling great!😉

With l♥️ve,
Wholesome K1 

K2  Indonesian Language

Written by Ms. Yuyun

The first and second weeks of school are pivotal for K2 children as they begin to build a positive self-image. During this formative period, children are exploring what it means to be part of the K2 community. It’s an ideal time to nurture a sense of belonging and self-worth through activities that highlight each child’s unique qualities and strengths.

Engaging activities, such as creating self-portraits, help K2 children recognise and celebrate their individuality. By seeing their reflection and understanding their unique features, they learn to feel proud of who they are. Simple exercises, like introducing themselves and sharing their name, age, and favourite things, further build self-confidence and foster a positive attitude.

Craft activities also provide a wonderful opportunity for children to express their diversity. For example, creating artwork featuring their favourite fruits not only allows them to showcase their preferences but also teaches them about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

These early experiences set a positive tone for the rest of the year, helping children feel secure, valued, and excited to embark on their learning journey.

Grade 1 Parenting Workshop - “Building Children’s Confidence”

Written by Ms. Lindi

Parenting is a lifelong learning, and it takes a lifetime commitment. A strong foundation of children’s development is built from very early childhood, and the results will come out a few years later when they grow older. 

On 23 August 2024, a parenting talk was done for the Grade 1 parents to equip them with strategies for building children’s confidence to learn without giving up and to develop skills that would help them resolve problems independently. Children learn by modelling their parents as the most trusted adults. By becoming proactive parents, children develop motivation and practical skills in problem-solving which can be used in their day-to-day lives. In children’s learning, failures can’t be avoided, and parents’ support is important for the children to bounce back and continue their learning journey.

We were very happy to have a very engaging session with the Grade 1 parents and looking forward to having more engaging moments with parents in another parenting talk. Every grade level has its unique and specific issues that need to be addressed. Therefore, there will be more parenting talks designed specifically for each grade level. Here is the overview of the upcoming parenting talk for EYES Parents in Semester 1:

1. EY Parents - Teaching Children About Body Awareness

2. G2 - G3 Parents - Conflict Resolutions

3. G4 - G5 Parents - Raising and Protecting Children in Digital World

4. EYES Parents - The Importance of Life Skills

Thank you dear parents for your participation in the parenting talk and let’s maintain the home-school partnership to foster the children’s growth and future success!

Grade 1 Mathematics

Written by Ms. Lance

Our first graders embarked on a captivating journey through the magical world of Numbers up to 100! They discovered the joy of learning with hands-on activities and interactive tools.

Key Highlights:

• Writing Number Words: The students practised writing number words, and making connections between numerical symbols and their written forms. They learned to spell out numbers like "seven," "twelve," and "forty-five”.

• Finding Number Patterns: The kids explored number patterns, such as counting by twos, fives, and tens. 

• Identifying the House of Numbers: They learned about the "house of numbers," breaking numbers down into tens and ones. 

• Interactive Learning: With the help of Matific and other engaging online tools, exploring numbers became both educational and fun.

• Maths Room Adventure: The Maths room was a magical space where amazing things happened! The students were thrilled to use the Rekenrek, a colourful abacus-like tool that helped them visualise and manipulate numbers in a hands-on way.

The adventure in the Maths room was a delightful experience, filled with laughter and excitement. The combination of interactive learning tools and physical manipulatives like the Rekenrek and unifix cubes made exploring numbers a memorable and enjoyable experience for our young learners.

Grade 2 Chinese Language

Written by Mr. Shen & Ms. Nian

       新学年开始，二年级的学生在中文课上使用了多功能互动板，这种新工具让中文课堂变得更加有趣和生动，在教学上也取得了很好的学习效果。

      老师通过互动板展示字词和图画，学生可以点击字词听发音，看到对应的图片，从而更容易记住这些字词。学生在互动板上进行拼音和词语练习时，可以马上看到自己的答案是否正确。这种即时反馈帮助学生快速改正错误。

       这种高效、有趣的学习方式极大地提高了学生的中文学习兴趣和热情。我们将继续利用多功能互动板这一工具，进一步提升中文教学的质量，帮助学生在中文学习的道路上走得更远。

At the start of the new academic year, grade 2 students began using the interactive whiteboard in their Chinese classes. This new tool has made the Chinese lessons more engaging and dynamic, resulting in significant learning outcomes.

Teachers use the interactive whiteboard to display words and pictures. Students can click on the words to hear their pronunciation and see corresponding images, which helps them remember the words more easily. When practising pinyin and vocabulary on the board, students receive immediate feedback, allowing them to quickly correct any mistakes.

This efficient and enjoyable learning method has greatly increased students' interest and enthusiasm for learning Chinese. We will continue to use the interactive whiteboard to further enhance the quality of Chinese instruction and help students progress further in their Chinese language learning journey.

Grade 3 ICT/Robotics

Written by Mr. Aldrin

Grade 3 students at Sinarmas World Academy are learning the fundamentals of proper keyboard hand positioning in their ICT class, a crucial skill for developing efficient typing habits. Through interactive lessons and engaging exercises, they are introduced to the QWERTY layout and the "home row" keys, practising correct finger placement to enhance speed and accuracy. The use of typing games adds a fun, competitive element to their learning, boosting both their confidence and competence. This foundation in keyboarding not only supports their current academic tasks but also prepares them for future digital literacy challenges.

Grade 4 Art

Written by Ms. Adelina

Our fourth-grade art class has been filled with creativity and enthusiasm! This couple of weeks, the students have been working on a drawing project that reflects their hobbies or friendships. Using pencil colours and markers, they explored various colouring techniques such as shading, cross-hatching, and outlining to bring their ideas to life. Throughout this lesson, students also learned about key elements of art, including line, shape, and texture, and how to use these elements effectively in their work. The learning objective is to develop their fine motor skills, enhance their ability to express themselves visually and deepen their understanding of artistic techniques. The benefits of this activity extend beyond the classroom, as it encourages self-expression, boosts confidence, and fosters a deeper connection to their personal interests.