Personal Timelines

What is a personal timeline? 

A personal timeline is a line that includes information about the personal milestones or events in your life, in the order in which they happened. 

The students used their knowledge about their unique milestones to make a visual representation of their lives so far. Some of the milestones took place before the students became conscious of their memories. Therefore, the interviews with Mom or/and Dad, and the family archive of photos and videos have helped the preschoolers piece together some of the earlier valuable moments in their lives. 

Looking at the different timelines of the busy bees...

Some of the preschoolers have been fortunate to go on many travelling adventures already.

 Some have welcomed baby brothers or sisters into their families.

All of them have learnt how to walk and talk.

Some have already acquired multiple languages.

Most of them can ride bicycles without training wheels.

Some of them have already lost a tooth or two. 

It is clear to see that good things take time! 😁

---

Sports Day

What a wonderful time the preschoolers had taking part in this year's Sports Day! The focus of this year's event was to celebrate teamwork. In the weeks leading up to the day, the students participated in activities during PE with Ms Itzi, which emphasized communication, empathy, care, open-mindedness and active-listening. These values are part of our daily learning and teaching here at our school. The preschoolers had a ball of a time, collaborating with students in Grade 1 and 2 as well. Well done, Busy Bees!

Grade 4 Assembly

The preschoolers enjoyed the presentation put on by the Grade 4 class about different ecosystems around the world. The Grade 4s reminded us that we all have a part to play in protecting and conserving our natural environments.

 Have a restful and fun weekend, everyone!

Ms Theona 

Where We Are In Place and Time

 This week, the Busy Bees explored where exactly we are in place and time! We spoke about what has brought us all to our school. 

The preschoolers located our continent, country, city and the school's suburb on Google Maps. We also located the different birth countries that some of our students and teachers come from.

The preschoolers spent time locating on their world map where their mommies and daddies were born, and where they themselves were born. 

Even though we may all have different birth cities or countries, or have lived in different countries, time and change has brought us all together to this place and at this time.

As part of looking back at our different personal histories, for Show and Tell the preschoolers brought along a cherished plush toy or baby blanket to school. They proudly spent time showing each other their precious comfort items, which some of them have had since birth.

We could see how the blankets have lost some of their colour and some plush toys now have a different texture. These are all signs of how well-loved, and perhaps well-travelled these items are. Some of the comfort items had a particular scent that perhaps brings a sense of security to the preschooler. These cherished items have all been part of the preschoolers' growth and change over the years.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

See you at the Sports Day on Monday!

Ms Theona

🗺

Timelines

This week, the preschoolers started making timelines of their lives. We spoke about the different stages of a human life. From being in mommy's tummy, to then being born as a cute little baby. We then grow into toddlers, who then become an older children and then we become teenagers. After teenage-hood, we become adults and grow older into elderly people, like grandmothers and grandfathers. The preschoolers said elderly people then become frail and poor in health, which may lead to them passing on - after a very long and happy life.

We spoke about what the students could and could not do in the past as babies. 

"I was learning how to eat and feed myself." 

"I was learning how to walk and talk."

"I couldn't walk yet, so I bum shuffled."

We then spoke about what they can do at their current age.

"I can cook with my mommy and daddy."

"I can play by myself."

"I can talk now."

 The students thought about what they might look like or what they may be able to do in future as adults.

"I will be a mommy."

"I will be able to run very fast."

"I will drive to work everyday."

Next week we will inquire deeper into our personal histories, to make a more in depth timeline of our lives.

St. Martin's Day

The school community were treated to a play showing the story of how St. Martin showed kindness and compassion to a stranger. Well done to one of our Busy Bees, Sofia who took part in the play. The play was followed by a lantern parade, while singing some of the traditional St. Martin songs and ended with yummy fruit punch and delicious weckmann. Thank you to all Preschool families who were able to join in on the evening!

A few weeks ago, the students painted their lanterns during art class with Mr Lubin.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Ms Theona  🌱

Change

 This week, the preschoolers continued inquiring into some of the changes that occur over the course of their lives.

Since we spent time looking at the students' baby photos last week, the students put together puzzles of how their faces currently look. They took time to view what parts of their faces are still the same, and the parts that look quite different a few years later.

The preschoolers' bodies are growing every second of the day. So we decided to measure everyone's current height, and we will measure their height again in a few weeks' time to see what the change in their height is.

Day by day, the students' writing and reading skills are growing! To support our developing English writing skills, the students have started to journal daily. One of the students described it perfectly, a journal is where you write or draw about your important and special memories. These memories will form part of the students' personal histories. The students will soon take their journals home for parents to observe the lovely writing so far.

---

Thank you to Lucas and Yihe for celebrating their recent birthdays with their classmates, by bringing little gifts for everyone!

---

We ended off the week by going on a leaf hunt! Last week we read the book, "We're Going on a Leaf Hunt" by Steve Metzger, and the students enjoyed how the kids in the book were finding different colour leaves and different trees. 

We walked to a nearby park and explored all the changes that the season of Autumn has brought. The different leaf colours. The different leaf sizes. The different sized acorns that have fallen to the ground. We collected some leaves which we will use for a task next week.

Change is all around us. 

Have an amazing weekend, Busy Bee families! 🐝

Ms Theona