EY ES NEWS

Let’s Recycle
Written by Ms. Klara

“Recycle today for a better tomorrow”

Toddler Understanding the World

Written by Ms. Mary-Ann

The theme for the Toddler class this term is "In the Garden." It is a great way to introduce young children to the natural world and the wonders of fruits and vegetables. It is also amazing to see how hands-on experiences can enhance their understanding and curiosity.

Witnessing how these little ones connected the theme to their daily lives was truly fulfilling. As part of this engaging and hands-on learning experience, the children had the opportunity to directly interact with a diverse collection of fruits and vegetables. This hands-on approach not only helps them recognise and name the different fruits and vegetables but also sparks their curiosity to investigate further. It's fascinating to witness their little voices echoing with excitement as they identify the items by name. Their natural inquisitiveness leads them to use their senses, such as touching and holding the fruits and vegetables. 

To further enrich their understanding, the class embarked on a mini field trip to the school garden. The children were overjoyed as they picked tomatoes, chilies, and water spinach. They also had the opportunity to dig up carrots and happily carried their small baskets back to the classroom. In addition, they practiced peeling, cutting, and slicing bananas, savouring the experience of consuming what they had prepared. Their artistic abilities were also incorporated into the theme, with artwork created using these garden fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the class played the planting the pumpkin game at the school gym.

These experiences provided the children with lasting memories that they will surely cherish.

Nursery Indonesian Language

Written by Ms. Mona

The nursery students learnt about planets but we focused on Earth as the planet where humans can live. When the teacher brought a globe, our students were excited to observe and touch that tiny replica of the planet they live on. They touched and moved the small version of Earth. After that, the students continued to make the replica of the Earth by pasting pre-cut paper onto the paper. This activity also enhanced their fine motor skills in hand grip and hand-eye coordination. Surely it was a fun time for them to get to know the planet where they live, the Earth!

PreK Literacy

Written by Ms. Ruby

Pre-K children had a wonderful time exploring different stories and engaging in phonics activities. Listening to stories like "Save the Planet Earth," "Recycle It," and "There Was An Old Lady" gave them awareness of how to take care of our earth. Visiting the library and choosing their favourite books likely sparked their interest in reading and storytelling.

During phonics time, the students learnt how to spell and read CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words with the vowel sounds /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/. The Jolly Phonics songs and accompanying actions provided a fun and interactive way for the Pre-K children to review the sounds of the letters. Visual aids, such as pictures and printed words, further enhanced their ability to recognise and identify the presented words.

They had the opportunity to match big letters to form words, reinforcing their understanding of letter-sound correspondence. It's great to see that the children were encouraged to read and spell while their hands were kept busy with various engaging activities. This approach helps to make learning enjoyable and reinforces their literacy skills in a multisensory manner. Overall, the Pre-K children had a fun and enriching experience with stories and phonics activities.

Kindergarten 1 Chinese Language

Written by Ms. Biqin

  K1这学期主要探索了季节和天气的奥妙！除此之外，我们还学习了汉字基本笔画的认读和书写。在我们学习白天和夜晚的差异时，孩子们亲手制作了白天和夜晚的手工作品，并用中文介绍了自己的作品。他们的创意和努力令大家赞叹不已！

    当我们深入探索大海和天空时，孩子们运用深蓝色描绘大海，轻柔浅蓝色勾勒天空，再添上船只在海面上，贴上白云、太阳和小鸟等元素在天空中。他们共同打造了一幅美丽绝伦的画作！

   与此同时，幼儿们通过多样有趣的方式学习基本笔画，快乐地提升了中文水平。我们对他们的进步感到无比自豪！

This term, K1 students delved into the wonders of seasons and weather! In addition to that, we also focused on learning the recognition and writing of basic Chinese strokes.

As we explored the differences between day and night, the children took the initiative to create their own handmade artwork depicting both day and night. They enthusiastically introduced their creations in Chinese, leaving everyone in awe of their creativity and effort!

During our exploration of the sea and the sky, the children skillfully used deep blue tones to illustrate the vast ocean and gentle light blue strokes to outline the sky. They added boats to the sea and adorned the sky with elements such as white clouds, the sun, and birds. Together, they crafted an exceptionally beautiful masterpiece!

At the same time, the little ones joyfully enhanced their Chinese proficiency through a variety of engaging methods of learning basic strokes. We are immensely proud of their remarkable progress!

Kindergarten 2 Music
Written by Ms. Nathania

Kindergarten 2 Music has been a journey of exploring musical instruments, especially the percussion instruments. Different shapes of the instruments make different sounds which can be interesting to combine. Playing music together is about teamwork and a lot of listening. Each team member must be able to listen as well as stick to his/ her own part. That way, the K2 students can create a percussion performance together. Alongside that, Kindergarten 2 students Alessa, Sera, and Seou are rehearsing for their live piano and violin playing for the end of the school year performance. It is still a journey to be made, an adventure to conquer. 

SWA Trip To Peking University Elementary School

This coming October 2023, Peking University Elementary School (PKU ES) invites the Grade 3-6 students of SWA to visit Beijing. The school visit will be held during the Term 1 vacation of the Academic Year 2023-2024 from 8 to 14 October 2023. The trip presents the SWA students with a remarkable opportunity for them to engage in an interesting educational experience at PKU ES, one that shall enrich their understanding and proficiency in the Chinese language and culture. Prepare to witness your child's knowledge and appreciation of the country's language and culture flourish as they dive headlong into this wonderful venture.

Registration deadline: 6 June 2023 (registration is on a first come, first served basis due to limited slots.)

Please see the poster below for details.

Thank you, Exam Yoda

ES students would like to thank Exam Yoda for always being there when he is needed most. He never fails to give nuggets of wisdom during exam time. Thank you, Exam Yoda. 

Grade 1 English Language

Written by Mr. Marc 

“Can we write more stories?” the students asked. The Grade 1 class has written over 100 stories this year!

Here the students are collaborating on their “team” story. The students planned a story together, then separated and each wrote the story based on their interpretation of the story plan.

The Grade 1 students are excited to share all their stories in their notebooks during the ES Exhibition in June. See you there!

Grade 2 Science

Written by Ms. Shirley

Understanding concepts through model: Exploring the Sun, Earth, and the Moon

The Grade 2 class started the new lesson by exploring the interactive virtual tour of the solar system, which took them on a spectacular adventure to the Sun, Earth, and the Moon. Through the virtual tour, the students learned interesting facts about the solar system.

Then the students constructed a model that simulates the rotation of the Earth on its axis, the revolution of the Earth around the Sun, and the Moon’s orbit around the Earth.  By using and manipulating these models, the Grade 2 students were able to observe and comprehend the causes behind the day and night, changes in seasons, and changing the phases of the Moon.

Followed by constructing a model of the phases of the Moon, in which the students simulate the movement of the Moon around the Earth. Through the model, the students were able to identify the different phases of the Moon and gain a deeper understanding of how the Moon phases change.

Their journey ends with a tasty and yummy Oreo Cookie Moon Phase Activity where the students work together in groups, constructing models while discussing their observations and explaining their understanding of the topics. This activity allows the students to articulate their scientific knowledge and engage them in scientific discussions. 

Overall, using models, inquiry-based investigations, and collaborative and hands-on activities, the Grade 2 students gain a deeper comprehension of the complex concepts about the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon.

Grade 3 Indonesian Language

Written by Ms. Junita

One of the topics G3 ILL students have learned this term was the development of technology. Students learned that technology is not static but continuously evolving, with new inventions and advancements shaping the way we live, work, and communicate. They did some research about how transportation and communication technologies have evolved.

Not only were students learning about the development of technology, they were also challenged to create their dream transportation in the future. They worked in a group to create their future transportation. They should be able to describe the appearances and identify the advantages and disadvantages of their transportation. At the end, they worked together to create their transportation using the cardboards, coloured papers, carton boxes, etc and presented their work to the class.

Grade 4 Arts

Written by Mr. Ezard

As we approach the end of the academic year, it would be wonderful to provide the students with a well-deserved break. As part of the basic illustration topic in art, the Grade 4 students were given the opportunity to create their own comics. They were given complete freedom to design their own characters, determine the setting of the comic, and, of course, develop the storyline. 

Through the process of creating their characters and drawing the comic's setting, the students not only enhanced their colouring skills but also developed their illustration abilities. This activity proved to be enjoyable for the students as it allowed them to foster their creativity and imagination. 

Allowing students the opportunity to engage in such artistic endeavours not only nurtures their artistic talents but also encourages them to think critically and express themselves through storytelling. It was a delightful experience witnessing their enthusiasm and witnessing the growth of their creative skills. As the academic year draws to a close, we hope that this comic creation activity provided a refreshing and enjoyable experience for our Grade 4 students, allowing them to explore their artistic abilities and further develop their imaginative thinking.

Grade 5 Music

Written by Mr. Freddy

The Grade 5 students have developed and explored more musical knowledge and skills during this semester, especially in playing ukulele instruments. They have performed the ukulele ensemble in various festival songs and pop songs. Besides developing instrumental proficiency, they also improved their progress in singing with confidence. They experienced working in groups to develop more creativity and ideas in rhythmic coordination with body percussion arrangements. They also kept maintaining and improving their hulusi skills this semester and they prepared a song entitled Dandelions to be performed in the coming Recognition Day assembly. This will be their last performance in Elementary School because next year they will move to Middle School. They have been practising so hard to prepare their farewell medley performance as their gratitude to the Elementary School community and to their parents. 

Last April, all Grade 5 students were happy about their experience of a collaborative performance with the High School choir students to sing Ibu Kartini in harmony. Through this performance, they improved their confidence and collaborative skills with better sound production.