Dearest new students, we were so happy to warmly welcome you to Shanghai United International School Qingpu Campus in August, and we were delighted to see so many happy faces and bright, curious smiles!
During the new student orientation, children were thrilled to watch the video of the successful launch of “Shenzhou 14” together, clapping and cheering as it made its journey spaceward. Teachers from various subjects also prepared their own unique ways to welcome the children to their new school life. Meanwhile, children became closer to the teachers through a variety of wonderful interactions. Sunny Huang (Co-Principal), Helen Liu (Head of Primary & Assistant Principal) and Michelle Song (Executive Deputy Head of Primary) also expressed their sincere expectations for the children’s future, hoping that the Grade 1 students can pursue their dreams with courage and conviction!
The teachers at SUIS Qingpu introduced children to space and stars by holding a variety of engaging space adventure activities. They met new teachers, became familiar with the campus and experienced primary school lessons through transdisciplinary learning and exciting game interactions. These activities not only allowed them to have a deeper understanding of primary school life, but also stimulated children’s yearning to start their journey in primary school.
Approaching Space Dreams from Myths and Poems — Taking root in Chinese Culture and feeling the charm of Chinese Language
In history, there are countless ancient poems, beautiful myths and legends mentioning the dream of flying above the Earth. In Chinese class, children recited a poem after teachers told some fairy tales, perceiving and experiencing how Chinese people were willing to explore and pursue the universe.
The Chinese teachers also led children to go on a “space trip”! Students received their “space pass” through the “New Word” activity. In the process of exploring the space station, they learned about the lifestyle of astronauts and the developmental history of China’s aerospace industry, understanding that dreams can only be realized through perseverance and efforts. Finally, each child recorded their dreams on a “wish bookmark”. We hope the children can set sail for their dreams in the new semester!
Gaining knowledge in play, achieving growth in happiness
According to the concepts of the new curriculum standards, the mathematics teachers changed the focus from imparting knowledge to cultivating students’ learning abilities. Teachers used a “universe landscape map” to help children understand the basic mathematic graphics from various aerospace tools, and led them to deepen their understanding of graphics through illustration and painting. Finally, each student created a paper plane under the guidance of teachers.
Exploring the stars and travelling into space in English through picture books
How to get Grade 1 students to travel into space through the lens of learning English? In Longman English, teachers used picture books as a medium, and simultaneously combined various teaching methods to give students more opportunities to interact in class. After reading, new students in Grade 1 understood the story, learned to express some verbs more accurately, and developed their curiosity about space.
The children also took a wonderful journey in English Language Arts with their teachers, exploring the mysteries of the planets and making their own cotton candy constellations. The constellations mimicked their real-universe counterparts like the ancient queen, Cassiopeia. Turning their eyes towards the night sky, the children dreamed of a future amongst the bright stars.
Cross-cultural bilingual courses – Music, PE, Art and STEAM
The fun music lesson started with a lively dance, allowing the children to learn about the planets in the solar system. Then, based on the English words of the planets and the rhythm as the avenue, the children subtly felt the rhythm of the music and were able to hear and imitate it. Musical play was also an important part of this lesson, which helped children to exercise their reflexes, concentration and rhythmic perception in a fun environment.
The theme of the STEAM lesson was “Launching Rockets.” Its purpose was to let the children be familiar with types and functions of the “Long March” series of carrier rockets. They also made an aerodynamic rocket under the guidance of their teacher and felt the impact of ‘launching’ on the playground, fully feeling the marvellous charm of STEAM!
The PE teachers accompanied the students to our school pool to experience the joy of swimming. In a safe, hygienic and inspirational environment, the children freed their inner piscine selves to feel the joy of movement in water. Did you know that floating in water is the closest you can come to the gravity-free environment of space on the surface of our Earth?
Students were further invited to take part in our comprehensive range of additional extra-curricular activities. With opportunities as diverse as Golf and Artificial Intelligence, new students at SUIS Qingpu will have a wide breadth of special interest subjects to pique their curiosity.
Space for children is like a seed…a spark, guiding children to explore, to dig deeper into the cosmos. In the process of exploration, they will discover the happiness of independent learning and the expectation of their future and dreams. Let’s look up at the stars and pursue our dreams with courage and conviction! The future for SUIS Qingpu students is promising!