Student Led Conferences

A student-led conference is a conference with parents led by the student. Students lead parents through a discussion of work they have selected and will explain how it relates to their learning. This is a fabulous chance for students to share what is important to them. We appreciate you taking the time to join us and listen to your child as they guide you through their conference this Friday.

Question prompt for parents:

What challenges do you have in this subject?

How do you think you have improved at this since last year?

Why are you proud of this work?

Which activities are difficult for you? Why?

Why are these your favourite activities? Why?

Which things are difficult for you? Why?

What are your favourite activities? Why?

What are you goals by the end of this year?

How can I help you achieve your goal?

Weekly Reminders

Student led conferences are this Friday! School and after school programmes will not be running. You and your child were sent home an allocated time slot. We look forward to sharing our learning with you at the end of this week.

7.30:     Mimi, Stephen, Sorriaj, Yewon, Hana
8.30:     Ngy Meng, Cathal, Chanpanhanith, Wadia
10.00:   Oliver, Sophia, Sothearath, Hana
11.00:   Sounavann, Boramey, Erika, Sophia
2.00:     Lucas, Kim Veng, Nica, Samir

Friday Fun!

This morning we had a fabulous opportunity to watch the grade nine drama students present their version of events from Peter Pan. They scripted ideas on how Hook and Pan came to be enemies. The children adored their humorous and animated performance.

Then we burnt some energy off in PE. It is always great to get active!

In class it has been a hive of activity as groups began trying to solve a simple problem like; ringing a bell, popping a balloon, lifting a cup of water, or pushing a ball into a hole by inventing a Rube Goldberg machine. They tested, reflected, made adaptations and tested again. Plenty of perseverance training today! Here's Mimi and Hana's example.


We have had to do a little classroom redecorating in order to have invention spaces for our creative classmates. We also have lovely new carpet throughout Elementary so the place looks fabulous!

Grade 5 PYP Exhibition

We were so lucky to be invited as visitors to the grade 5 dress exhibition rehearsal yesterday. The students were inspiring as they shared their learning journeys and presented their understandings! It was very impressive and gave us all something to aspire to!

Contraption Maker

In lab we have had a try at a learning activity called contraption maker. The games are directly linked to our UOI and focus on children using simple machines to perform tasks. Our first session last week proved challenging;  as children learnt to persevere and solve problems.

Now the children are starting to put their knowledge into practice. Our first groups began making their Rube Goldberg machines in class today. This required patience, teamwork and perseverance. Tomorrow they will test, record, and explain their findings.

A Fun Week

There was plenty of activity in grade two last week! One of our challenges was to successfully move a boiled egg from a chair to the floor using only an inclined plane. The children had to put their understanding of force and friction to the test as they created ramps and tunnels to move the egg and found ways to slow or stop the egg from rolling away. After much testing we finally all ended up with success! Well done for persevering!

Our next challenge was to write what we did as a procedure - which was equally as challenging!

So that we did not waste the eggs, we decided to make them into sandwiches. As a class we decided how this would be done, and wrote a piece of procedural writing (a recipe) to explain it. Then we put it to the test. Yum!

 Carrying on with our procedural writing focus, we had another go at writing a recipe on Thursday. This time we wrote the ingredients and method for making 'Fairy Bread'.

Friday was a day full of fun! It was Wacky Day at School, and many children turned up in zany gear, with uniforms inside out, underwear on their heads, and crazy hairstyles.

In the afternoon we had a special surprise. A group of the grade five children came and allowed us to preview their art work for this week's Exhibition. They asked us questions about their work and sought our feedback on how their message and presentation worked. They did a great job and gave us something to aspire to!

Mini Makers Fair

We had a trip to the Mini Makers Fair. Children explored the science stalls. Many stalls were related to our simple machines unit, and it was great to see students asking questions and making connections. It was a fun day full of exploration.

Library and Lab

This week we have enjoyed sessions in the new Knowledge Centre. The library is a wonderful space, with many quiet places to escape. 

In the IT lab, we have been up-skilling our understanding of speed typing through games. We are also green-screening our reflections from the playground. It has been challenging using expressing our knowledge of simple machines and working with a 'mirror image' when we presented our work.

Levers

As part of our writing programme, we are looking at writing a procedure. Today we wrote a simple experiment, including our question, hypothesis, equipment needed, the steps involved, and a conclusion. The experiment involved exploring simple levers. Then the class played with their levers, moving the fulcrum and adjusting the force they applied.

Simple Machines

We have been exploring what simple machines are and how they make our lives easier. In this collaborative task groups worked together to define, draw, and find examples of each of these simple machines;

• inclined plane
• wheel and axel
• lever
• wedge
• pulley
• screw

They then explored how the machine works and how it improves things and shared this with the class.

Trip to the Playground

On Tuesday we visited Wat Botum Playground to explore how simple machines are used in everyday life. As a reflection, students drew posters and are working on a visual 'green-screen'  presentation which demonstrates their understanding.

Inclined Planes

We have been exploring inclined planes today. In reading we discovered their many forms and uses. We also conducted some simple experiments to see if the angle of the incline affected the distance a toy car would travel down a ramp. Plenty of fun and very engaged students!

Simple Machines - Provocation

We began our new unit of inquiry 'How the World Works' earlier this week. Children began tuning into the unit by exploring a collection of simple machines. Without any prior discussion or instructions, children explored piles of equipment. We stood back and watch as learners inquired, explored, and discussed. They wrote their observations using the visual thinking routine 'I see / I think / I wonder.'

Knowledge Centre

We loved having our first library session in the new Knowledge Centre. The space is fantastic! Come in and have an explore!