With specially selected monthly learning themes, plenty of time for outdoor classes, continuous provision, and a mix of music, art, science and drama classes, younger children in Junior School at SPGS International School Chengdu are excited to explore and discover new ideas every day. Together the Homeroom teachers, Chinese co-teachers and subject specialist teachers design a wide range of ‘learning through play’ activities and projects based on clear learning objectives and following a blended learning approach.
So what does this look like in real life?One of our school’s core values is liberalism. To help students to understand the deeper meaning of this abstract term, teachers prepared a series of unique and interlinked activities.
Liberalism
• Discovering the world, challenging preconceptions and thinking critically• Celebrating that we are all unique individuals and welcoming others’ differences• Being adaptable, flexible and open-mindedAt Key Stage 1, teachers introduced five famous historical figures who have contributed greatly to the freedom and rights of women and children, during daily outdoor activity time. This enables the students to understand what liberalism means. A fun scavenger hunt helped develop students’ independence. The children followed clues hidden in the playground to find information about the historical figures.
The children were then divided into groups and each group was asked to choose a famous person. Using the clues they had found, they selected relevant and important information about that person and created a summary. Afterwards they used drawing or collage to make a poster of the person. Finally, they made a presentation of their historical figure to the rest of the class. Their eyes lit up as they told each other how Malala Yusuf helped educate women and children in Pakistan despite the dangers, and how Amelia Earhart flew across the skies with great courage and perseverance to become the first woman pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
The concept of liberalism was first introduced to the Early Years students during story time with the book ‘Elmer’ – the tale of a patchwork multi-coloured elephant who decides he wants to look like all the other elephants by turning himself grey. Elmer realises the value of being unique and showing his own colours. By discussing the story, the children looked at what makes Elmer special (both on the inside and outside), helping them to understand how everyone is special and different. This makes the world a more interesting place.Our specialist teachers then combined science and art to build on this concept of individuality. Firstly, the students used magnifying glasses to examine their own and their friends’ fingerprints to discuss what they could see. One child even remarked that the lines in their fingerprint resembled a rainbow. They then took copies of their thumbprints using chalk and tape on a black background to reflect their uniqueness. A range of art activities continued with each student drawing a self-portrait, comparing their own features to others. They also made and decorated their own playdough elephants and finally, they designed their own elephant masks in a riot of colours and patterns to celebrate their individual style. And just like ‘Elmer Day’ in the book, as part of a drama lesson they took part in a vibrant elephant parade set to rousing music.Through these interlinked, fun-packed activities, the students gained a deeper understanding of the meaning of liberalism. They came to realise that everyone is different and unique, and that we should be proud of our differences and celebrate diversity in others.It is through blended learning like this that we incorporate objectives such as literacy, language, motor skills, art, drama, teamwork and critical thinking skills, all in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere not found in traditional classroom teaching.To demonstrate our school’s love of learning through play, we will hold a special activity morning for families with children aged 2-4 years on 22nd January. The event will be themed around the upcoming Chinese New Year and will feature a number of exciting activities. Parents will gain an in-depth understanding our educational philosophy and teaching methods. Come to visit our campus and explore how we incorporate our five core values of “Achievement, Community, Liberalism, Creativity and Possibility” throughout school life.*Please scan the QR code of the poster below to registerPhillip Farrier-Price, Head of Junior School at SPGS International School Chengdu is looking forward to the activity morning on 22 January. “We understand that every child is unique, so we place great importance on tailoring each student’s learning programme to their individual personality and strengths, helping them to develop holistically. We welcome parents to visit our campus to get a real understanding of our wonderful school.”As one of our founding parents said, “SPGS International School Chengdu is a school that makes every effort to provide support and assistance to students and families, and I can clearly feel that the school is paying close attention to the growth and development of my child.”We look forward to meeting you on campus!
Event Details
Date/ Time:
Saturday, January 22
9:30-12:00
Location:
No.6-8 Shengxing Alley, Hi-tech District.
高新区盛兴巷6-8号
Scan and Book
↓
About SPGS
SPGS International schools’ operation is built on a close partnership with St Paul’s Girls’ School (SPGS) to incorporate the best aspects of the St Paul’s education and ethos.
St Paul’s Girls’ School, London is an outstanding day school, consistently achieving the best GCSE and A level results in the UK. Founded in 1904, the school is committed to a broad and progressive curriculum at all stages, encouraging a thirst for knowledge and scholarship. St Paul’s Girls’ School’s approach to learning promotes creativity, problem-solving, collaboration and entrepreneurship throughout the curriculum.
SPGS International School Chengdu follows the British National Curriculum and is initially for children aged 3 to 6 years old, expanding to educate students from Year 3 through to Year 10 in August 2022 offering IGCSE, and A Levels over the coming years.
More information on SPGS International School in Chengdu can be found at http://spgs-shengbo.com/sisc
