As we close this final issue of our school newsletter, we are pleased to share highlights from Early Years, Primary, and Secondary. From Reception’s rich cultural explorations, to Year 3’s important learning milestones, and AEP’s structured reading practice, this issue captures authentic classroom learning and moments of student growth.
Reception Tiger Chinese Journey | Culture in Action
Written by Ms. Renee, June 2026Over the past month, Reception Tiger’s Chinese learning journey has been full of colour and discovery. From setting off across the wheat fields of Xiaoman, to poetry-filled nights under the bright moon, diving into the deep blue ocean, and finally arriving at the fragrant world of Zongzi and Father’s Day warmth, the children have used their small hands and big hearts to share moments of connection and care. Let’s look back on this enriching journey together.
The “Transformation” of Chinese CharactersIn May, we followed the tiny footsteps of the character “百” and met four fascinating new friends—“白”, “自”, “日”, and “目”. Through comparison and decomposition, the children discovered the intriguing relationships between them. They practised spotting differences, identifying character structures, and building simple words, experiencing the magic of how Chinese characters come together.We then explored the character “月”. When “日” and “月” stand side by side, they form the bright character “明”. Coinciding with the Xiaoman solar term, the children read stories about this seasonal moment, learning that it represents “increasing rainfall and ripening grains”. They were also fascinated by the life cycle of silkworms spinning cocoons and the traditional custom of eating bitter herbs, feeling the warmth of life through both language and seasonal culture.From the Bright Moon to the Ocean
Building on their understanding of “明” and “月”, we explored Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Jiuling’s Thinking of a Friend in the Moonlight. The children recited the timeless line “The bright moon rises over the sea, we share this moment though far apart”, and created artwork inspired by the poem. Through shared appreciation, they experienced a deep sense of longing and connection. From this poetic “sea”, we then set out on an exciting journey into marine life exploration.
Discovering Ocean Friends
During our inquiry sessions, the children learned about many fascinating sea creatures: distinguishing between octopus, squid, and cuttlefish; exploring the symbiotic relationship between sea anemones and clownfish; and discovering the surprising number of arms and feeding habits of starfish. They compared sea urchins and porcupinefish as two “spiky companions”, and were amazed by the sunbathing ocean sunfish, the electric eel that can stun its prey, and the boxfish whose body is protected by a hard shell and moves like a little box.
Through picture books and role-play activities, the children brought these creatures to life with words and movements, turning the classroom into a vibrant underwater world.
Dragon Boat Festival, Fragrant Rice Dumplings & Father’s Love Like a Boat
In this week’s dual-festival theme activities, the children learned about the origins and traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival and the story of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. They enthusiastically “raced dragon boats”, “hung mugwort”, and “made rice dumplings”, immersing themselves in the rich cultural atmosphere of the festival.
We also celebrated Father’s Day, sharing warm memories of time spent with dads. The children created unique handmade gifts, expressing their love in their own gentle and thoughtful way. These creations carried both Dragon Boat Festival blessings and Father’s Day gratitude home to their families.
From the breakdown and formation of Chinese characters, to the immersion in seasonal culture and poetry, and further into the wonders of the ocean, the children have continuously practised describing and comparing. Driven by curiosity, they are developing their skills in observation, inference, and empathy throughout this meaningful learning journey.
Year 3 Cambridge Exams & End-of-Year Reflection | Growth, Effort and New MilestonesWritten by Mr. Kyle , June 2026This week marked a very special milestone for the children as they completed their first ever Cambridge exams. For Year 3, this was a big step, and the children approached it with maturity, courage and a wonderful sense of determination. It was lovely to see how seriously they took the occasion, while still supporting one another with kindness and encouragement.
As we come towards the end of the school year, there is naturally a little emotion in the air. It is hard to believe how quickly the year has passed. It has been an amazing journey, full of hard work, memorable moments, new challenges and wonderful progress. The children have grown so much, not only in their learning, but also in their confidence, independence and resilience. They should feel extremely proud of everything they have achieved.Throughout the year, the class has worked across a wide range of exciting topics. In English, they have developed their reading, writing and comprehension skills through units on memories, stories, descriptions and thoughtful language choices. In Maths, they have tackled multiplication, division, fractions, measure, area, perimeter, time, Venn diagrams and Carroll diagrams, building their confidence step by step. In Science, they have explored fascinating topics such as light and shadows, plants, Earth and the Moon, and how we investigate the world around us. These lessons have helped the children ask thoughtful questions, make connections and take pride in their learning.The children have also shown real dedication during revision. They approached their preparation with focus, perseverance and a positive attitude. Revision can be challenging, but the children showed that effort, patience and determination really do make a difference. Their hard work has paid off, and it has been wonderful to see them applying their knowledge and skills with increasing confidence.Although the end of the year is getting closer, we still have more memories to make. We are all looking forward to our school trip to Zhuhai soon, where we will have a great time celebrating the children’s efforts, friendships and achievements. It will be a lovely way to round off what has been a truly special year, and a chance for the children to enjoy a well-deserved celebration after all their hard work.
AEP Class: Building Strong Readers Through Structured Literacy PracticeWritten by Ms. Phoebe , June 2026
To develop students’ reading habits, I arrange three independent reading sessions per week using Raz (Raz Leveled books). The levels are dynamically adjusted based on each student’s proficiency, allowing for gradual progression. After reading, students are required to organize the book content into mind maps on their own, designing the maps based on the logical flow and sentence structures of the text. Finally, they read the book sentence by sentence, while the teacher provides pronunciation correction, completing the reading check-in.
In addition, I use Oxford Tree storybooks and introduce a story map template, guiding students to summarize each story from multiple perspectives, including: characters, setting, plot, problem, solution, and emotions.
Post time:
Jun-23-2026
