CGK Times
Maximizing your opportunities for happiness
in an increasingly global world
June 2024
Contents
Preschool
Pride in Pride and Diversity
Across the world, June was Pride month and it was no different here at CGK. Following our family week in May where the children learnt and celebrated all the different formations of families there are, for Pride month we wanted the children to learn that everyone is different and it's okay. Diversity and acceptance is important at CGK as our school is a safe environment for everyone from all walks of life. As well, an attribute of the IB Learner Profile is to be open-minded where we try to understand those around us and know that people are different. And as CGK's parent company is certified under Yokohama's SDGs systems, we are dedicated to realizing the goals for an inclusive, equal, and empowering society.
Skyクラス(5歳児)As we celebrate Pride month and recognize that our community is diverse, it is also a timely reminder that we should be respectful and kind to each other. Whether it is our society in general or at CGK, having a diverse community makes us more beautiful and united.
PO and PTCs: Thank You!
A big thank you to all the families from Sky (5-year-olds) and Mountain (4-year-olds) who attended June's PO (Parent Observation) and PTCs (Parent-Teacher Conferences). It has been a busy month but it was worth it to be able to talk with everyone about the children and their classes, answer any questions that you may have, learn more about IB, and having some fun and relaxing times at the parents social. We appreciate the time that you gave to us to talk about your child so that we can work together to help maximising their opportunities for happiness in an increasingly global world. For the Jungle (3-year-olds) and Ocean (2-year-olds) families, your PO and PTCs will be coming up in July. This will be the first time for many of you so if you have any questions about them, be it scheduling, Zoom links, or where to go, please do not hesitate to contact your child's class teacher.
Tell Us All About it When We See You Again, Ms Hisae
With the heaviest of hearts, it's time for us to say farewell to our beloved vice-principal, Ms Hisae. Ms Hisae has been with CGK since 2019 and she has helped out the school in every way possible. We will miss everything that she brings and we thank her for the wonderful time that she gave us at CGK. Good luck with your studies and bake up a storm in the UK.
CGK Awards
Welcome to the world renowned, highly respected, and much revered CGK Awards! Each month we would like to highlight the children from each class who have displayed qualities that are part of the IB Learner Profile. These are qualities that we want our children to have and to share with the world. With that, the recipients of the CGK Achievement Award for June are:
Jungle (3-year-olds)
A. - for being a great communicator by being a caring listener who also confidently communicates well with friends and teachers.
Y. - for being a good role model to everyone by being open-minded and listening to his teachers whilst thinking before acting.
Mountain A (4-year-olds)
K. - for growing into a confident communicator.
M. - for being balanced and equally taking care of himself and others.
Mountain B (4-year-olds)
M. - for being balanced by taking care of herself and her belongings whilst also looking out for friends.
S. - for always putting his hand up to ask questions and demonstrating his curiosity.
Sky (5-year-olds)
C. - for being caring, friendly, and a kind friend who is always looking after others.
T. - for being a great inquirer by always being curious to learn new things and asking lots of questions.
Congratulations to this month’s recipients. Keep on sharing your awesomeness with the world!
Sky (5 year olds)
Egg Drop Experiment: Defying Gravity with Creativity
Sky Class has been on an exhilarating scientific journey, leading up to our grand finale: the Egg Drop Experiment! Throughout the past few weeks, we've conducted several exciting experiments, incorporating the steps of the scientific method each time. The kids have become quite adept at forming hypotheses, testing their ideas, and observing the results. Their enthusiasm and curiosity has been easy to see and they've enjoyed tinkering with plenty of different materials and concepts. From exploring buoyancy to building soap-powered boats, every experiment has been a stepping stone towards the big event.
Skyクラス(5歳児)During this process, they've blossomed into true risk-takers, bravely trying new ideas and not being afraid to fail. They've become critical thinkers, analyzing what works and what doesn’t, and refining their strategies. As inquirers, they’ve asked thoughtful questions and sought out answers with determination. They put all their knowledge and creativity to the test as they attempted to safely drop their precious eggs. The students' reflection on the egg drop experiment revealed their newfound understanding of the scientific method and their growth as knowledgeable scientists!
Pride in Diversity
In Sky class, to celebrate Pride Month, we have started to learn more about diversity: different types of families, people, and cultures. To begin our diversity talk in English, we used painted eggs as an example of how we are all different on the outside, but we are the same on the inside. Afterwards, we split into pairs and drew our partners and their likes, noting differences between each other. Learning about diversity at this age helps children develop empathy and respect for people from different backgrounds. It fosters an understanding that everyone is unique and valuable, regardless of differences in appearance, culture, or beliefs.
This early exposure to diversity also lays a foundation for embracing inclusivity and building harmonious relationships throughout their lives. This also helps them focus on the caring and open minded attributes of the Learner Profile.
Sky's IB Learners
In the June Sky class, we had many opportunities to think about the IB Learner Profile Attributes, which are a verbalization of the ideal person that we want our students to become through their inquiry in the IB. There are 10 learner profile attributes in total. In the "How the World Works" unit that we are currently working on, focuses on the four IB Learner Profile Attributes: Inquirer, Knowledgeable, Thinker, and Risk-taker.
Skyクラス(5歳児)Once the Sky classmates learned the meaning of each learner profile, they quickly began to actively use these words in their daily lives. When one friend tried to eat a food she had difficulty with at lunch, we encouraged her by saying, "Good job! You are a risk-taker!" We also saw many students positively spending their days in the classroom, relating the IB learner profile to their own lives and experiences. One day during Japanese class. Everyone formed a circle and freely discussed their current feelings and what had happened over the weekend. When it was my (Maya's) turn, I said, "Yesterday, a big snake appeared in Ms. Maya's yard. I was too scared to touch it or even move, but my family knew how to catch it and let it go outside." Then students said, "So your family is a Risk-taker!" "But since they knew how to catch the snake, they must also be Knowledgeable people, right?" "They might have thought a lot about where to let it go, so they are Thinkers, aren't they?" Even as I casually shared the events of the weekend with the children, they were coming up with different interpretations of the learner profile that applied to them, and discussions were taking place without my knowing it. It was a moment that convinced me that children's level of understanding and their ability to recognize each other exceeded the imagination of adults.
We believe that the IB Learner Profile Attributes are the foundation not only for the present moment, but also for the rest of their lives. We would like to continue to expose the children of Sky class to many other IB Learner Profile Attributes so that they can live their own sparkling lives as they grow into adults. We are looking forward to seeing many other IB Learner Profile Attributes in the future.
Mountain A
(4 year olds)
Come Fly with Me!
This month the Mountain A children got to experience what it would be like to visit and work at the airport through dramatic play. A variety of centers were set up, including a check-in desk, security bag checking area, travel agency, currency exchange, and even our own airplane where the kids got to be pilots, cabin crew, and part of the runway control. The children learned many skills and really enjoyed playing and enacting different roles. Dramatic play in a fantastic way for kids to develop social skills, enhance coordination, boost creativity, and support communication skills. We're very excited to have more dramatic play experiences throughout the year!
Imagination Transportation! ♪
Creativity, Imagination, Problem-Solving, Fine Motor Skills, Collaboration! This activity allowed all of the Mountain A students to express their unique ideas and turn them into fantastic creations.
Building a new form of transport requires thinking ahead and problem solving. They experimented with different combinations of materials and figured out how to make everything work together.
Some children chose to work together, sharing ideas and materials to create their dream vehicles. This fostered teamwork and communication skills.
We went on a field trip!
In June, we are expanding our learning about "vehicles", so we went to "Jonanjima Seaside Park(城南島海浜公園)" and "Yokohama Tram Museum(横浜市電保存館)".
We went to "Jonanjima Seaside Park" to see airplanes and ships. We were able to see various trucks, buses, trains, and emergency vehicles before reaching our destination. In addition to vehicles, we also found many insects, fish, and other living creatures in the park. Some children were interested in the sky, trees, grass, and shells. One of the goals was to see airplanes and boats, which are not usually seen up close, but the children made many other discoveries and came back one after another to report to their teachers what they had found and what they wanted to do. The weather was fine, so some of the group relaxed on the lawn and enjoyed a slow and leisurely lunch and conversation. Although there is a "purpose" for going on a field trip, I think the most enjoyable and educational experience is to find your own interests and enjoy them to the fullest. We each enjoyed what we wanted to do as much as time allowed. Later that day, we drew what we did on a piece of drawing paper. The content of the expressions varied: some children drew dumpling bugs all over the paper, some drew the ocean spreading out all over the paper, some expressed how airplanes were far away in the sky as if they were actually seen, and some drew detailed descriptions of the contents of their lunch boxes. The children's eyes sparkled as they expressed what they were interested in.
For the train observation, we went to the "Yokohama Tram Museum. The children were so excited that they were bursting with smiles the whole time they were at the museum. Seeing the children's beaming smiles, I was struck by how much learning and discovery lies beyond the smiles on their faces. I would like to continue to create many opportunities to bring smiles to the children's faces!
Mountain B
(4 year olds)
Where We Are in Place and Time
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A new month brings a new UOI! Our focus has now shifted to Where We Are in Place and Time. Our central idea is, "People make choices based on culture, location, and resources." This has led us to explore technology, particularly transportation, and examine the similarities between various countries and Japan. Additionally, we've been fortunate to go on some exciting excursions to enrich our learning experience! Some activities have been locally focused, such as exploring train jingles—unique to Japan—and understanding the messages they convey, like the train's departure or the doors closing. Other activities have launched our students into outer space, where they explored other planets and considered the necessities for living and how choices are made based on available resources. Our excursions have reinforced classroom learning, inspiring new questions and creating lasting memories for the students.
As we progress with our UOI, we will delve deeper into cultures and traditions. We would love to invite families to share their own cultures and traditions in the classroom. Keep an eye out for a message with more details coming soon!
Learning About the Learner Profile Attributes
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Mountain The Mountain B friends began learning about the Learner Profile attributes this month. We explored what it means to be caring by role-playing a bus scenario with priority seating, and we added the "Wheels on the Bus" song for extra fun. The children recognized the people who needed priority seating the most and understood that giving up their seat on the bus was an act of kindness.
We also started learning about what it means to be a risk-taker and how we can apply this in our own lives. The children came up with some great ideas, such as using scissors, trying unusual foods, and using their bodies in challenging ways.
The IB Learner Profile attributes encourage international-mindedness, lifelong learning, and a positive social impact by guiding students to understand themselves and others better and contribute meaningfully to society. These attributes also help to improve children's adaptability and preparedness for future challenges.
The children were engaged and thoughtful, showing a clear understanding of these important attributes and how they can practice them in their daily lives.
How do you come to CGK? Let's ask!
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This month the IB UOI has changed and is now Where We Are in Place and Time. The focus is now on Technology, and children are learning about where they are in place and time through an old technology called "Vehicles".
As they learned about "vehicles," the children realized that there are many different types of vehicles. So, the Japanese class decided to find out how the teachers and friends at CGK get to CGK, and this time we went to the CGK Elementary School to interview them. ^^
Some came by train, some by car, some on foot and some by bicycle. The children thought about why they commute to work and school in the way they do, and realized that they change their vehicles depending on the distance and time.
They also had the experience of using blocks to represent the survey results in a 3D graph, and from 3D to 2D in a paper bar graph, to represent the results graphically rather than leaving them as they were.
To further deepen their daily activities, they also visited Jonanjima Seaside Park (城南島海浜公園) and the Yokohama Tram Museum (横浜市電保存館) for further exploration.
I hope that the children will not just leave their "Why?" questions as they are, but that they will investigate in detail, and by experiencing the refreshing and fun feeling of solving their questions, they will further pave the way to exploration.
Jungle
(3 year olds)
See No Jungle Friends, Hear No Jungle Friends
Continuing our Who We Are UOI, we have been looking (and not looking at all) at the five senses. For a child's development, it is very important to experience a lot of sensory play using sight, touch, smell, hearing, and taste. We will be doing some tasting activities in the not-too-distant future, but the other senses are things we can try all day, every day. We often have stations for sensory play like boxes of shredded paper, homemade play-dough, scented paper plates, musical eggs, and toys frozen in ice.
One activity we tried this month was to see what it is like to live without the two main senses we use to get around. This also ties into the line of inquiry, similarities and differences between self and others. We did this by using a blindfold to take away sight, and watching a video with no sound to take away hearing. To finish, we talked about what people might do to counter living without these senses.
It's Raining Little Artists in Jungle!
Experiencing the nature around us🌼
Learning about nature, using our five senses like smell and touch.
Learning about nature, using our five senses like smell and touch.
Focusing hard to bring our imagination to life.
Getting our hands dirty to make beautiful art pieces✨
Hydrangea art!
Our creative juices running!
Weather doll art!
As part of our How We Express Ourselves UOI, we have been exploring crafts and play while enjoying acquiring new skills and also gaining knowledge about ourselves and our environment.
Learning about the rainy season not only introduces students to an aspect of Japanese life and culture, but can also be linked to lessons about climate, the weather, and nature. The children were able to compare the seasons and specific cultural practices in Japan with other countries around the world, through us teachers and peers from a variety of backgrounds, giving them an opportunity to understand how we as individuals can be different or similar to each other through our families and the culture they practice or don't!
Each artwork and craft is unique; showcasing the abilities, creativity and individuality of each student. At every session, we created something wonderful when we let our imagination and creativity soar!!
We had the freedom to choose the activity we wanted to do, the colours we wanted to use, the shapes we wanted to create and how we wanted to deliver our work. We even sometimes had conversations with our friends and got inspired by their work and ingenuity!
Fun interactions with friends ❤️
Just discovered that ice melts faster in my hand because my hand is warm!
Casting a spell with my groovy wand!
Counting my blocks!
Come join our bonfire everyone!
Just discovered that if I put the yellow and red tokens together, I can see the colour orange!
Building all things from cool dragons to more complicated structures!
Taking turns to use the blocks we are sharing to build the tallest tower in the class!
Having fun being hairdressers and cutting teacher's hair!
While playtime is fun and exciting, we've been building unique structures with blocks, Legos, etc. to express ourselves in many different ways. Sometimes the children even come up with new ways of playing with the same toys using our imagination and creativity.
Learning new games and playing in groups with friends means that the children are practising and learning how to communicate with each other better. The teachers have been helping them by supporting and teaching them what words to use with our friends so that we can all be happy; for example: "Let's play together.", "Can I play?", and "Can I have it?". Learning new games also means that we have to focus, listen well and follow new rules.
We are not perfect yet but we are all improving, perhaps slowly but surely. So please be patient and help us to nurture the children at home too. ❤️
Learning Expands from "Fruits"
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Jungle Children in the Jungle class love fruits such as apples, bananas, and oranges served at snack time! They also like to play make-believe games at free play time, and will hand over the dishes they have cooked with a "Ms. Riko, here you go!" So, in Japanese UOI, we have been working on the theme of "fruits," which the children especially like.
One day during Japanese class, one of the children said, "Ms. Riko, I brought everyone's favorite fruit today!" She showed the children a piece of colored paper that she had cut into long, thin strips. One after another, the children asked, "Red is strawberry!" "Red is apple!," "Yellow is banana," and so on. The children imagined various fruits by their colors and told me what kind of fruit they were. Then, they watched an animation of the cross section of a fruit when cut in half and thought together about the taste (sweet, sour, etc.). We also cut long, thin pieces of colored paper that looked like fruits with scissors, glued the cut fruits together with glue to make mixed fruit juice, and expanded our learning in various directions under the theme of "Fruits". The colored water play shown in the photo also allowed the children to enjoy mixing colors and feel the wonder of the properties of water and oil, and they were absorbed in the activity from start to finish.
Let's all form a circle and see what we can do today... ♪
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The children have become accustomed to life at CGK, and there are more and more occasions for them to call each other by name and play together. So, in order to allow them to interact with a wider range of friends, at the beginning of Japanese class, we make time for everyone to sit in a circle and play a bomb game, a ball rolling game, and small experiments.
In the bomb game, we begin by practicing passing a stuffed lion to the person next to us by saying, "Here you go." It is a simple action, but important for children who are at the stage of learning to pass on a limited number of toys. They could actually feel the joy of being able to say "please" to their friends. As they get used to it, they turn the lion clockwise in time to the music and stop the lion when the music stops! When the lion stopped, the teacher asked the friend, "What color do you like?" "What is your favorite food?" The children are excited and wonder, "Who will be next?" The children were excited! Sitting in a circle allows the children to see each other's faces and seems to make it easier for them to participate in the activities.
As we practice IB education, we respect individual freedom of play and learning, but through group play like this, we hope to cultivate "an attitude of listening to teachers and friends," "the ability to understand the rules on their own," "a positive attitude to participate," and more. We would like to continue to cherish this opportunity to share a fun time together.
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Ocean A
(2 year olds)
Shape of our Bodies!
Learning about ourselves and our bodies! Ocean A friends have enjoyed discovering body parts and body movement through hands-on activities. It was interesting to see what our body shape looked like when we each got a chance to trace our bodies. Everyone did great at staying so still and watching how teachers traced. A lot of friends were so curious about how different their bodies were from each other. These body shapes are a great way to allow the students to understand their own body and body parts. Ocean A will use these body shapes to display different learning themes throughout the 'Who We Are' unit and will be displayed around the classroom. In Circle Time, Ocean A have also loved singing and dancing to songs about our body parts, especially the "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and "The Hokey Pokey". It always makes us happy when the children can say each body part with confidence.
Yummy, Yummy Fruits Tasting!
Ocean As we have been learning about our bodies, Ocean A has also been exploring the different senses. Learning about fruits and how each fruit can taste different, for example sweet or sour. The fruit-tasting activity was a fun way for Ocean A to understand what kinds of fruits we can eat, how different they taste, but also what fruits Ocean A friends liked or disliked. Everyone was very excited to try the fruits that we bought at the supermarket and were eager to have a taste. While tasting the fruits, everyone had to guess what fruit they ate. It was interesting to see how everyone ate carefully and thought about what fruit they had just eaten. After eating all the fruits, Ocean A wanted more!
Fruit Exploration at Supermarket Shopping Experience
In June, students learned about "Body parts" and "Fruits" in both English time and Japanese time.
On Thursday, June 20, we took the CGK bus to Summit (supermarket) near the school for a shopping experience! Before the day of the trip, Ocean A students deepened their understanding of fruits and prepared for the trip by playing "shopping" and checking the rules and regulations at the supermarket.
On the shopping day, we were divided into two teams and everyone looked for the fruits written on the cards and enjoyed shopping until the end! They were able to keep their promises to the teachers, such as greeting other shoppers in the store and shopping quietly.
Through the shopping experience, the children were able to use all five senses to experience the different colors, shapes, sweetness, sourness, and other characteristics of fruits. We will continue to cherish the various exploratory experiences and enjoy them with the children.
Play with your face and body, and get to know!
The children of Ocean A class continue to focus on the UOI "Who We Are". This month we focused on their bodies and faces.
First, let's look at ourselves in the mirror! Looking in the small mirror, where are your eyes? Do you have eyebrows? What do you say in English? .... Let's make funny faces too! We enjoyed observing them. After that, we also used the big mirror to move our bodies. The children moved their bodies in front of the mirror in time to the playful songs, and they wanted to try different kinds of movements. Each child's words and movements expanded the conversation and activities.
We also tried drawing our own faces! What color is your mouth? The children look in the mirror and check for themselves. It may have been their first experience to draw a face with a specific theme (eyebrows, eyes, nose, etc.), but they were very particular about the color and tried to fit it within the outline in their own way.
Your body, face, and mirror are all familiar to you, but when you focus on them, you will have new experiences and discoveries. Ocean A is absorbing these new experiences and discoveries every day during Japanese, playtime, and English time at the school.
Ocean B
(2 year olds)
Ocean B Keeps the Beat!
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Can you keep the beat? We introduced rhythm sticks in Ocean B over the last month. The children learned how to hold the sticks properly, how to make different sounds with rhythm sticks, and how to copy a beat. We learned how to tell the difference between loud and soft sounds, as well much strength we need to make them. The students also boosted their listening skills by following along to music.
Learning music and rhythm is an essential part of early childhood education. Did you know that rhythmic skills help children learn to read? Rhythm and music help young children understand speech patterns, words, and sounds, enhancing children's oral language. This is the foundation of early reading skills. Making music together also helps students learn collaboration and creativity, and, most importantly, it's tons of fun!
We Are All Learners
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As we continue our journey of self-discovery, we also learn from those around us. Ocean B friends showed interest into exploring the different parts of the body. They named each part and discovered its basic functions. For example, we see through our eyes, hear through our ears, feel through touch, smell through our nose, and taste with our mouth. Through different activities, they not only learned about their own bodies but also how to take care of themselves and each other, recognizing that all things work together for good.
Ocean B friends demonstrated a love for singing, dancing, arts, and crafts. They actively participated in these creative activities, expressing themselves and bonding with their peers. Additionally, their enthusiasm extended to outdoor activities, where they explored their surroundings and learned about the world around them. These experiences enriched their understanding and appreciation of themselves and others, fostering a sense of community.
Make a train and get underway!
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Until recently, some children went to the toilet and some changed their diapers in their classroom according to their individual development, but we have changed the routine so that all the children make a train to go to the toilet together in order to motivate them more for toilet training. Some of the children were sitting on the toilet for the first time, but many of them were inspired by their friends around them to go and sit on the toilet with no difficulty. ^^
I was amazed at the children's adaptability as they quickly got into the habit of counting from 1 to 10 with their teachers, washing their hands, and returning to their classroom!
They are also doing their best to put on and take off their pants and diapers "by themselves". We will continue to promote toilet training with the children, valuing their independence and at their own pace.
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Happy to eat together♪
The children of Ocean B are getting into the habit of preparing their own meals. They have started to get into the habit of preparing their own meals at lunch time, for example, by taking out a spoon and fork and putting on a smock. In April and May, the teachers often prepared meals together with the children, but now many of the children are able to sit down and wait calmly after preparing the necessary items without any instruction from the teachers. They are now able to sit down and wait calmly without the teacher telling them to do so.
The amount of food they eat has also increased little by little, and they are more willing to try bites of foods they are a little unfamiliar with when encouraged by their teachers. They are now at the age where they want to prepare their own meals and eat by themselves, but doing it by themselves takes a lot of energy for them. We would like to work together with them on the difficult parts while respecting their feelings and building up experience of small successes.
As the weather gets hotter, their appetites will probably change, but above all, we want them to enjoy eating with their friends and feel the joy of eating together!
Elementary School
Japanese Cultural Day
On June 14th CGK elementary school hosted a Japanese Cultural Day! The students took the lead in planning and organizing the event, and created lots of fun games and activities for their friends to enjoy. The students also wore yukatas, jinbeis and anime character costumes. They enjoyed completing a stamp rally, Bon Odori dance and watching a Japanese anime.
Handmade lanterns crafted by the students decorated the venue, adding vibrant colors to the atmosphere. Additionally, this year featured a special lantern contest by the CGK staff, whose impressive works further enhanced the decorations - and the students got to vote on whose lantern they liked the most! A striking Godzilla display adorned with the students' origami creations also stood out as a popular photo booth.
On the day of the event, the students played handmade games created by the different grades, participated in a stamp rally, danced the Bon Odori, and watched Japanese anime films. There were also corners for traditional Japanese games, filling the school with the festive spirit of a Japanese summer festival.
For the JAL students, this event was also a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture. We’re looking forward to continuing hosting this memorable event for many years to come!
Afterschool
Grade 1 - ‘What is it like in... the United Arab Emirates?’
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アラブ首長国連邦(UAE)What is life like in the United Arab Emirates? This is the guiding question that the First Grade Afterschool students have chosen to pursue for their Thursday project. Through their exploration of this country, they showed an interest in learning more about Burj Khalifa. As this is a student-led program, they had the creative freedom to take the project in the direction they found most interesting. For them, their interest was to build a model of the Burj Khalifa.
What is the Burj Khalifa? The students began this phase of their project by learning about this tower. Standing at 828 meters tall and having a total of 162 floors, the Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest tower in the world. It is located in Dubai, where its glass facade is a prominent feature of the city’s skyline. Armed with this knowledge, the students now had a clear vision of what they wanted to build.
How do you build a model of the Burj Khalifa? To begin the building process, the students used a highly detailed 3D rendering of the building to get a better sense of the building’s geometry. They then chose to use recycled clear files and PET bottles as their building materials because they mimic the glass facade of the real building. They also wanted to illuminate the building in some way, as they really like how the building looks at night.
How did they assemble the building? The children first created 25 clear cylinders with the recycled clear files. They then chose to adorn them with metallic tape, as it looked like the metallic pattern found on the Burj Khalifa. They then stacked the cylinders on each other, slowly tapering the building by adding fewer cylinders each layer. At the top of the tower, the students came up with a cone shape design for their final clear file in order to create the building’s spire. They then attached the completed building onto a base made of recycled PET bottles and cardboard. Finally, they illuminated the building by attaching two LED strips to the back of the tower. In the end, their Burj Khalifa model measured almost 180 cm and looked amazing.
How did it turn out? The kids were so excited to see the tower in its final form. The children were very proud of how it turned out because they designed and built the tower mostly on their own. I only offered support and guidance when they asked for it. For our next part of our project, we have decided to learn more about what life is like in the UAE by having a conversation with people who live there! The students will take part in a cultural exchange virtual meeting with students who live in Dubai. I am planning to coordinate more of the details with my friend who currently teaches at an IB International School in Dubai.
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CGK Extra
Study Abroad and Global Initiatives
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From March 23 to April 21, 2024, CGK conducted its first study abroad program. Although it took a considerable amount of time to realize the program due to Corona, it was a great feeling to realize the concept that we had before Corona and to take the first step in CGK's study abroad program.
CGK hopes to carefully nurture the mindset of students who are excited about the new world, as well as the significance of studying abroad.
We are pleased to announce that we have opened the "Study Abroad and Global Initiatives" page on our website! Please take a look.
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Accepting short-term international students from overseas - Wanted host families
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CGK has a positive stance on accepting international students from abroad with a view to encouraging multicultural cooperation. Students from different cultures and backgrounds can interact with and help each other at CGK, bringing rich diversity to the classroom. This environment of diversity provides each student with a valuable opportunity to learn different viewpoints and increase mutual understanding.
At CGK, we believe that diversity improves educational development. By learning and working together, students from different backgrounds will grow into leaders with global perspective. In addition, experiencing diverse opinions and values will help them develop tolerance and empathy.
In order to create an environment conducive to hosting short-term students, we are looking for host families; if you are a CGK family interested in registering as a host family, please contact Mayu at the Office (Toddle is OK).
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Upcoming CGK Study Abroad Information Session
CGK Elementary School Study Abroad Information Session
July 7th (Sunday) 15:00 - 17:00
*This study abroad program is targeting Grade 1 and above; Preschool families can also attend the information session
Session Contents:
- Insights into studying abroad in New Zealand (primarily visiting 7 elementary and middle schools)
- Guidance on studying abroad in Canada from a representative of a Canadian study abroad agency
- Details on short-term and long-term (1-year) study abroad options, and deadlines specific to countries and schools
- For details and registration, please refer to the separate information guide that has been sent to you.
Currently recruiting participants for study abroad programs
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- Throughout the year (on weekends or during long breaks, either for day trips or overnight stays)
- You can experience a homestay with a foreign family residing in Japan.
- Deadline: Approximately one month prior to your desired dates
- For details/application, please contact Mayu at the Office.
Spring 2025 Elementary School Study Abroad in New Zealand
- Participate in classes at a local elementary school in Auckland.
- Mountain and Sky class students are encouraged to participate.
- Basic duration: 4 weeks [March 16 (Sun.) - April 12 (Sat.)]
- 2 or 3 weeks may be arranged upon request.
- Minimum duration: 2 weeks [March 16 (Sun.) - March 29 (Sat.)]
- Deadline: September 1 (Sun.)
- Details/Application: Information will be provided at the orientation on July 7 (Sun.).
The summer Melbourne Parent-Child Study Abroad program is now closed.
CGK offers study abroad programs that are also convenient for preschool students and their parents to participate in.
Please feel free to contact Mayu at the Office with any feedback or questions (Toddle is OK).
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CGK Teacher's Club
Futsal Club
It was a great first Futsal club with teachers and their family. It was also nice opportunity to chat and communicate with teachers from different campus. Even younger kids had fun to kick the balls during break time!
Thank you for joining and see you at next one. More teachers are welcome always 🙂
Japanese Club
Finally, our Japanese club has started! I really appreciate such a wonderful opportunity to have a Japanese club and I am so excited to develop our club with other teachers.
In our first club, we all enjoyed talking in Japanese and some teachers learned new vocabulary through free conversation. Also, we learned grammar related to our free conversation.
CGK teachers are very motivated to learn Japanese and they have a lot of questions. Actually these questions give me, as a Japanese person, a chance to take a look again at the Japanese language.
We are planning to pick specific areas or topics up from next time, depending on the teachers needs, questions and requests. I will try to make the content more meaningful and interesting for all teachers!
Congratulations on Your New Baby!
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We received the following happy report from preschool teacher Ms. Yumi, who is on maternity leave!
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I'm pleased to announce the birth of a healthy daughter on June 11th.
I can't wait to see all the CGK families again! -