Weekly Updates

Preschool / Spark Studio (PS) Update

Zoom Craftwork

Now that the PS Eagles are more familiar with Zoom calling, they took turns sharing craftwork projects through Zoom. Pretty craftwork was created like snowflakes, origami hearts, origami ninja stars and salt paintings. Despite the challenges faced with Zoom, the PS Eagles showed patience and did their best to try to complete each craft.

Art can be made with anything around the house.

Montessori Language Work

This week the PS Eagles worked on language with the Montessori materials. The Blue Material Cards were fun to use for different activities like matching the word cards to the pictures cards or a memory game. On another day the PS Eagles read through the Blue Word List as quickly as they could, reading as many of the words as they were able to. They practised this until they had mastered all of the words.

The Small Movable Letters, paired with the Blue Word List provided spelling practise. The PS Eagles chose a word from the List and spelled it out with the SMLs.

States of Matter

The PS Eagles enjoyed exploring the concept of states of matter – solid, liquid and gas. They started off with a sorting activity – sorting pictures of different things into each state of matter group. They then went around their homes to find items of each state of matter to draw into their States of Matter Book. Other activities in the book included drawing what the molecules of each state of matter looked like.

What are bubbles on soda? Solid, liquid or gas?

Approaching a topic from many different angles gives the PS Eagles a wider view of it.

Home Challenge – Super Shoppers (Week 1)

The PS Eagles became Super Shoppers and explored the question, “Can we make an online purchase or order a meal?”

Online Shopping

The first challenge was to make their first ever online purchase on their own, and actually understand each step of the process. The Eagles were guided to familiarize themselves with the menu and prices, place and double-check their order, and track it. Later, they took on adding on more products and, if there was a problem with the product, they explored the challenge of asking for refunds and giving feedback.

Another challenge was the Hire Me! Earn Money! challenge that allowed the PS Eagles to appreciate the value of money by earning it for themselves. They went through the steps of looking for earning opportunities, negotiating a deal and delivering the deal to earn real money. This was expanded on with the Save Money: Order a Family Party! challenge.

Deciding what you want and looking in the right place for it is an important step to avoid waste.

Advanced shopper’s training. What if it’s not just a straightforward transaction?

Needs Vs Wants

The PS Eagles also watched a video discussing the difference between your needs and your wants. Differentiating between the two will assist in making the right buying decisions. How many of us have this skill?

Elementary Studio (ES) Update

Vegetable Stamping

A mere one week away from the CBF, the ES Eagles let off steam with a seemingly easy activity – vegetable stamping. The challenge came in the particular form of vegetable stamping that the Eagles were challenged with. They scrounged around the kitchen for leftover vegetables, used a paper clip to ‘cut’ out miniature stamps and used them to create art pieces.

The ES Eagles started off thinking this was a ‘childish’ activity, but ended up immersed in the creativity of the project and created imaginative artwork.

Something simple sparks imagination and creativity.

Creative Thinking Scenario

The ES Eagles look forward to the creative thinking scenarios they are being challenged with this Sprint. This week’s scenario was:

Your boat has sprung a leak and water is pouring in. How will you use your items to stop the boat from sinking?

Items: chainsaw, drawer, pots, shoes

The Eagles suggested:

Eagle 1: I would take the chainsaw and cut a piece off the cabinet, and then if the shoes have laces I would tie the piece of cabinet with the laces so the water would stop leaking until I reach land.

Eagle 2: I will use the chainsaw to cut the pot. Then I will use the part which I cut to cover up the leak and I will use the shoelaces from the shoes to tie it together.

Eagle 3: What I would do if my boat is leaking – I would use the chainsaw like a paddle and paddle myself there but if I don’t make it to dry land I would take the shoes and take my drawer and put it on the sand and swim there and step on the drawer and push myself to the land.

What do we use?? The chainsaw, the drawer, the pots, or the shoes??

Fun Friday Game

The Guide found another game to play with the ES Eagles to have some fun together to round off the week. skribbl.io is an online game of Pictionary and the Eagles loved trying to guess their friend’s sketches.

Middle Studio (MS) Update

Socratic Leadership Badge

This week, Evan and Aqeesha took the ultimate challenge to lead 3 Discussions and 2.50pm Huddles. On those particular days, the entire day was planned and led by them and it was up to them to encourage participation and engagement.

Tuesday Morning Launch was energized with a Skribbl.io game, always a welcome opening. The MS Eagle’s feedback was that the discussion was well-structured, but could have been a bit longer – perhaps have it last 20 minutes instead of just 10 minutes.

Aqeesha and Evan’s Morning Launch. A game always injects energy into a sleepy morning.

Notably, Tuesday’s Afternoon Launch was a Socratic Discussion on ‘The Ethics of a Tailored Sales Pitch’ which started with a scene from a ‘My Little Pony’ cartoon.

An incongruous cartoon serves the purpose of catching the attention and putting the point across.

The Wednesday Morning and Afternoon Socratic Discussions were to be led by Evan and Aqeesha.

However, Evan wrote a note in the morning to pull out of leading the Morning Launch.

And when afternoon came, Evan and Aqueesha were not prepared to do the 12.40pm Socratic Discussion. They were quick to face up to their failures in front of their fellow MS Eagles and provided the lessons learned from this event.

Thursday Morning Energizing Launch

To energize the morning and connect the MS Eagles, Mr. Daniel suggested an alternative to Skribbl.io which had been played for 2 weeks straight. The suggestion was Scattergories.io, a version of Categories.

Morris and Ra’ees were later joined by Aqeesha and Haidan. The game started off deceptively simple, but very quickly became challenging. At the end of it, Aqeesha provided feedback that she would like to play it again.

On Thursday Morning, Mr. Daniel invited Morris and Ra’ees to a game of Skrible.io to energize the start of the day.

Then introduced another online game – Scattergories.

Thursday Afternoon 12.40pm Launch – Socratic Discussion

To address the current hot topic occurring in America, aside from the ongoing battle against COVID-19, Dhanya and Aqeesha prepared a discussion on the topic of ‘Racism’. Points raised during the discussion ranged from racism in Malaysian schools to racial slurs and ways to combat racism.

The rating given to the Discussionon this sensitive topic was 9/10 from all MS Eagles in attendance. Morris said, “It was an amazing call. Loved it.” Haidan gave the feedback that, “It was a high pressure discussion, although it was not really structured as a Socratic Discussion. Gibran agreed, “It was more like just a discussion. But enjoyable anyway. Evan suggested, “Maybe next time the Discussion leaders can pose the question that they ask on Slides. The questions are less like a debate/Socratic Discussion, but more community discussion. But it was nice.”

Mr. Daniel sends congratulations to Aqeesha and Dhanya for taking on a very timely topic and hosting an electrifying discussion. It was certainly the best of the week.

Aqeesha and Dhanya led the Thursday Afternoon Socratic Discussion on the topic of ‘Racism’.

Some slides presented for the discussion.

Friday Town Hall

Evan prepared a plan which he sent to everyone prior to the meeting. During the meeting, many ideas were put forth and the Virtual Exhibition was gradually shaped and finalised within 30 mintues.

And now starts the countdown to the Children’s Business Fair! Get your money ready to spend, spend spend!