Lucy’s Blog

Hi everyone,

Here is a photo of our current superachievers. Well done everyone. Koki has so many of these certificates now in a variety of subjects. A big round of applause for Koki.

In this Science experiment, we wanted to see which container contained the most liquid. We used different colours to jazz up the experiment. The children were surprised to learn that each container held exactly the same volume of liquid.

Today in Science we conducted two Science experiments: ‘What Solids Dissolve in Liquids?’ and ‘Which Liquids Mix With Each Other?’ The students all hypothesised what would happen to each solid. The solids included baking powder, sugar, salt, rocks and sand. The students learned that rocks definitely do not dissolve because they are too hard. They also learned that sand does not dissolve either because sand is broken down pieces of rock.  

Next, we lined up an array of liquids, including vinegar, oil, shampoo, strawberry milkshake and cordial. The students learned that oil does not mix with water. We stirred it many times and we even poured oil into hot water. They still would not mix. The students also learned that solids dissolve faster in hot water than in cold water. 

All in all, the students really enjoy the weekly Science experiments and they look forward to conducting the experiments all week.

Welcome back. It has recently come to my attention that some children have been coming to school without eating a healthy, balanced breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It helps us to function properly until lunch and concentrate on our work/school work. I suggest a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. This meal provides children with all the essential vitamins and minerals for a healthy lifestyle.  For useful tips on parenting and routines, please have a look at the following website:  

 http://www.highlights.com/mt/parents/

Yesterday, we went to Dusit Zoo. It was a fantastic day. It was very hot and everyone was a little sweaty but we all really enjoyed it. We saw lots of different types of animals, including gibbons, spidermonkeys, gerbils, parrots, elephants, anteaters, penguins, hyenas, lions, tigers, kangaroos and snakes. The highlights for those in my group include squirting the elephants with water (which was a lot of fun), singing with the gibbons and seeing the penguins flapping their wings at us. The children were very inquisitive; they all asked intelligent questions and were very happy to be at the zoo.

This week during our double lesson, I decided to make a winter soup. We cooked the spices for two hours (in true Indian style). We then blended all the vegetables together to make a nice puree. We had an abundance of carrots, so our soup was a nice orange colour. Fortunately, Balram and Dechsit brought in some excellent Indian spices, so our soup had a lot of flavour. After cooking for 2.5 hours, the soup was ready. Everyone enjoyed the soup. What a success! I explained to the children how the soup would keep everyone warm in winter; it would also be a healthy treat. It can be difficult for the children to fully understand the seasons, as we do not have the weather changes here in Thailand. Therefore, I have included as many Scientific projects and experiments as possible to enable them to feel the seasons and understand them. I would like to say thank you to all the parents who sent in chopped vegetables. Yummy!

Have a look at these photos from the Christmas Nativity we held in our classroom last year. It was a lot of fun and Annie (as Mary) especially enjoyed being pulled around the classroom by a donkey (our very own strong Ryosuke)!

Last week we conducted an autumn experiment. We hung some apple slices on a string in the classroom. Then we placed some apple slices in a sealed plastic bag and placed that plastic bag in a drawer. The children all hypothesised what would happen. Nearly everyone was certain that the apples in the drawer would rot first because they were in a sealed bag, with no light. After five days, we checked the apples again. All of the students realised that their predictions were wrong. The apples in the sealed bag were still quite fresh. However, the apples on the string were crumpled and dry because they were exposed to the air. I pointed out that the brown, curling apple slices resembled the leaves that fall from the trees during the autumn season.

Yesterday, as part of ‘The Seasons’ unit, we made a fruit salad that is perfect of the summer. We all brought in a variety of fruit to school, including strawberries, pineapples, apples, roseapples, grapes and tangerines. So as you can imagine, we were in for a real treat. First, we cut up the fruit, then we mixed the fruit together with natural yoghurt. Next, we sprayed low fat cream on the top in swirls and finally we topped the treat up with sprinkes. The chilren were particularly impressed and deemed that my summer creation looked like an icecream. I then reminded the children that a fruit salad is perfect for the summer. Fruit grows very well in the summer due to the hot weather and extra hours of daylight. Summer is when fruit becomes ripe. Also, fruit is particularly healthy and can cool you down on a hot day, as well as increase our energy levels. It was a great way to show the children how to prepare food, how to eat healthily and to recap on the facts of summer. Plus, we all really enjoyed it.

Cl

Class 1B were learning about Natural Resources on the 15th November. They learnt that 'air'is

everywhere. I wanted them to realise that we cannot see air but we can feel it. Therefore,

my teaching assistant Miss Kal decided to blow them all with the hairdryer. The kids

certainly learnt that they could feel the air that day and they really enjoyed it.