Let’s Make Some Noise!

Sounds and noises around us provide an important way to understand and interact with the world: they are a tool we use to communicate and gather information. Listening to and making sounds is without a doubt a favorite activity in Pre-Nursery, and in the past few weeks we have been exploring the differences between LOUD and quiet sounds and everything in between. We used our voices and our bodies to make sounds, and then we learned to make loud noises by banging on drums and by shaking maracas. We made quiet noises, gently tapping on the triangle and the xylophone, trying hard to hear the gentle ‘ting’….

Needless to say, we preferred by far to make lots of loud noises!

Ms Laura – Pre-Nursery Teacher

Cos’è un albero genealogico? 

Gli studenti di seconda questa settimana si sono messi sulle tracce dei loro antenati. La curiosità dei bambini per il loro passato è stata tanta e tante sono state le loro domande. Si sono chiesti chi fossero i loro bisnonni e i trisavoli, chi avesse scelto il loro cognome, dove vivesse una volta la loro famiglia. Conoscere le proprie radici, il nucleo o il posto dal quale proveniamo è importante per scoprire chi siamo, capirci meglio. La memoria è così diventata uno scrigno prezioso e pieno di sorprese che i bambini sono stati molto felici di aprire! 

Maestra Elisa

Books, Books, Books.

Over the past week the Grade 7 classes have been presenting their independent reading books to their schoolmates.

It is always interesting to see the varied choices each student has made and this selection was no disappointment, ranging from historical fiction and reworked fairy tales to troubled teenagers and Harry Potter, paying tribute along the way to Michael Morpurgo and Louis Sachar.

We have heard about intrigue and humour, suspense and sadness, been caught up in plot overviews and shared such themes as friendship, jealousy, courage and empathy.

Most interesting of all is hearing the students’ response to their reading, especially when they have found something particularly moving or particularly entertaining. Now, hampered by masks and their facial expressions all but hidden, their spoken responses take on an increased relevance; the verve and enthusiasm which comes through when they are really absorbed or fascinated by a book is unmistakable.

Mrs Nevin 

Grade 7 Literature Teacher

GRADE 3’s ALONG THE BANKS OF THE NILE

Grade 3 has been exploring Ancient Egypt this term, learning about what an important feature the Nile river was to Ancient Egyptian society. Even in our read-aloud stories, we have encountered characters from that far away time. The latest story was “The Little Hippo”, by Anja Klauss. This enchanting story begins on the banks of the river Nile where the hippos bask in the sun, letting the beautiful designs of water plants decorate their bodies and ends, with little Hippo finding his family again centuries later and miles away, in the Louvre Museum. Here, his family can still be visited in the form of lovely little turquoise-colored statues, along with the incredible wealth of archaeological artifacts that still guide our learning through this ancient civilization. The children drew and painted their own blue hippos, paying close attention to faithfully adding the shapes and designs of reeds, lilies and flowers that grew along the Nile. 

Paola Gandrus 

Grade 3 teacher

Ricerca sugli animali con i suoni duri della G

Lo sapevate che il cibo preferito dei draghi sono le principesse e che i pinguini amano scivolare sulla loro pancia? Che i gattini quando nascono sono ciechi e che esistono galline da compagnia? Che i paguri sono animali solitari e che il megalodonte prende il nome dai suoni enormi denti?

Tutte queste informazioni sono state raccolte e condivise dai bambini di Grade 2 che si sono divertiti a scoprire i segreti degli animali con i suoni duri della G. Abbiamo fatto una pesca online durante la settimana di didattica a distanza e ogni bambino ha estratto virtualmente il nome di un animale sul quale ha poi svolto un’approfondita ricerca venendo a conoscenza anche di aneddoti molto divertenti! 

Bravi bambini!

Maestra Elisa e maestra Sara

Learning to Manage Risk Through Play

Dr Peter Gray, a professor of psychology and acclaimed specialist in the interaction between education and play, wrote the following quote in 2011: 

“Nothing in life is without risk.  When we deprive our children of taking the risks that they must take to grow in competence, confidence, and courage, we run the greater and ultimately more tragic risk that they will never learn to take charge of their own lives. So, be brave and let your kids be brave.”

In the ECC, we work towards empowering our young learners in a variety of ways that range from academic learning, to learning how to dress up independently, and everything in between. Risk management is taught at every level by providing an environment that enables each child to take risks in a way that balances out curiosity, awareness of the safety rules and expectations on one hand, and learning from authentic interactions with their peers and teachers on the other hand. True learning comes through trial and error, and emotional and physical resilience are attained through that process that inevitably requires pushing ourselves out of our ‘comfort zones’.

Ms Adriana

Nursery 3 Teacher

Dr. Peter Gray, Ph.D – “How Children Learn Bravery in an Age of Overprotection” (retrieved from: psychology today.com, Dec. 08, 2011)

A culinary journey through German-speaking countries with our budding cooks.

Grade 7 students discovered some of the most typical German dishes and presented the recipes listing the ingredients and explaining the step-by-step procedures in German. Some of our budding cooks have also tried the recipes at home cooking with their parents. 

It has been a trip from the South to the North exploring typical dishes:

from the Austrian “Wiener Schnitzel” to the Viennese “Sachertorte”, to emperor Franz Joseph´s favourite dessert “Kaiserschmarrn”, to the characteristic “Kartoffelsalat”, the typical German “Spätzle”, the Black Forest gateau “Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte”, and also the “Mamorkuchen”, the well-known “Apfelstrudel”, the “Berliner Pfannkuchen” (also called “Krapfen”),  and the “Bratwurst”. 

If you visit Berlin you must taste the famous “Currywurst mit Pommes” or the “Eisbein mit Sauerkraut”! 

Hmm… lecker!

At this point you might be hungry…it is time to cook another typical German dish with our Grade 7 cooks!

Frau Laura Seraffini

Middle School German Teacher

Spinning Webs in Grade 2

Exploring lines and surfaces in Maths has led the Grade 2’s to recognize, identify, and describe parts of lines and curves. They applied their discoveries to making spider webs in Art, by drawing horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines and curves. White card, pencils, 40cm rulers and colouring pencils were the tools used in this creative activity. The artists even managed to create optical illusions by alternating the direction the curves were facing (smiley face – sad face) and repeating the pattern throughout. Finally, to emphasize the pattern of lines and curves, the students used contrasting colours. As a result, the spider webs appear to have rhythm and movement.

Ms Artemis

Grade 2A Teacher

Life in the Scriptorium

After writing letters to oblates from the point of view of medieval monks, the grade 5’s try to “age” their manuscripts to make them look like antique parchments.

I suoni dolci dell’amicizia

Mai come in questo momento l’amicizia sembra essere una risorsa fondamentale per tutti, fonte di gioia e di benessere. 

Insieme agli amici si condividono esperienze importanti e si impara a crescere in modo armonioso. 

I bambini di Gr2 hanno portato a termine questo bel progetto sull’amicizia partendo dalle regole che è necessario rispettare per essere amici, passando per la definizione di che cos’è un vero amico, per finire con la descrizione di un amico speciale. In tutto questo non è mancato uno sguardo all’ortografia per imparare a riconoscere suoni duri e suoni dolci…come bella parola AMICIZIA.

Bravi bambini, avete fatto un ottimo lavoro!

Maestra Sara

Insegnante di Italiano Grade 2A