SUIS Qingpu’s First Lesson — Splash! Hello, Primary School! A Look Inside Our New Grade 1 Summer Camp

SUIS Qingpu’s First Lesson — Splash! Hello, Primary School!

A Look Inside Our New Grade 1 Summer Camp

Saying goodbye to the carefree days of kindergarten, a brand-new journey through primary school is about to begin.

Faced with an unfamiliar campus, this transition is about more than new learning content. It is also a gentle way of preparing young hearts.

Across two warm days of companionship, our Grade 1 Experience Summer Camp gave children the courage to embrace this new chapter of growth, helped our little newcomers feel that they truly belong, and sent them off full of curiosity and anticipation — ready to knock on the door of primary school life. Knock, knock! Primary school, here we come!

A Warm Opening | Let Tenderness Ease the First-Day Nerves

The opening ceremony gave our new students their very first taste of school ceremony and belonging. With warm, beaming smiles, school leaders and teachers greeted every child stepping onto campus for the first time.

The class name boards, name tags and class photos – these little thoughtful details quietly smoothed away the children’s first-day jitters. When a child found their own name and met their kind, friendly teachers, the brand-new campus began to take on a warm glow.

A fun-filled campus exploration tour officially set off. The children strolled around the campus, getting familiar with their classrooms, the playground and all the different spaces, discovering the home where they’ll learn and grow, and slowly building a sense of security in their new environment.

Daily habit guidance ran alongside: lining up in order, putting things away neatly, and doing things for themselves. These simple everyday practices quietly planted the seeds of an awareness of rules.

The children also had warm meet-and-greets with their subject teachers — the friendly guides of their learning journey ahead. Through relaxed, easy-going interactions, they let go of their shyness and gained a growing sense of calm.

This summer camp was not about getting ahead of the school curriculum. Centered on the theme of “Water,” it wove early-learning experiences into games and hands-on practice, so that, through immersive activities, children could awaken their natural curiosity for learning:

Chinese · Droplets in Search of Rhyme

Following a picture book, the children set off on the magical journey of a little water droplet — listening to sounds, recognizing characters and savoring the beauty of language. Along the way, the seed of a love for reading was quietly planted.

Maths – Water fun leads to new questions：

Using water experiments, kids thought deeply，explored widely and actively asked questions.

English – The promise of the blue：

With fun games. the kids were inspired to speak confidently and express their ideas without any restrictions. It all led to a question: Is the ocean really safe for animals to live？Let‘s do something to protect the sea. Let’s protect the Earth!

ELA -The water cycle：

Building knowledge of the water cycle though experiment, they were immersed in the secret of science.

Art – Ripples of drawing：

Young students observed the ripples of water and drew whatever was on their mind，feeling the warmth and kindness through little waves.

P.E. – Keep up with the water：

Water-themed games brought out friendship and teamwork. Let‘s do sports and be healthy！

Art – Ripples of drawing：

Young students observed the ripples of water and drew whatever was on their mind，feeling the warmth and kindness through little waves.

STEAM · Exploring Water, Seeking Truth:

Through little water-science experiments, the children got hands-on, tested their ideas and made bold guesses — experiencing the joy of scientific exploration up close.

School & Family, Side by Side | Hand in Hand on the Journey of Growth

Education is a journey that school and family walk together. The summer camp also featured a parent–teacher exchange, where subject teachers met the parents of our new students face to face to share ways of supporting a smooth transition into primary school.

Principal Sunny Huang Ying led a session under the theme, “Education Is a Process of Seeing and Being Seen.”

In the early primary years, there is no need to rush into academic competition. Forming good habits, nurturing character and protecting curiosity are the true foundations of growth. Packing your own school bag and keeping a regular routine mark the beginning of independence; asking questions with enthusiasm and making friends with kindness are the nourishment for a growing heart. The school protects with care, and the family accompanies with warmth. Only when the two walk hand-in-hand can children take their first confident steps into primary school.

This brief two-day summer camp was a graceful prologue to a new journey.

May children embrace their new primary school life with courage, reassurance, curiosity and passion, growing toward the sun and thriving freely.