CGK Times
Maximizing your opportunities for happiness
in an increasingly global world
January 2025
Contents
Preschool
Parent Observations and Parent Teacher Conferences
This month we began our final Parent Observations and Parent Teacher Conferences for this current school year. During the Parent Observations we invite families to observe the classes to have a closer look. This is a fun and valuable opportunity for everybody especially for the children as they look forward to having their family observe their classes. Equally important are the Parent Teacher Conferences where families and teachers have the time to talk to the teachers about the children at school. In our busy modern lives nothing beats face to face communication so we appreciate everyone taking the time to meet with our teachers.
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 this month's CGK Achievement Awards are:
Jungle (3-year-olds)
R. - for being a balanced communicator and demonstrating a willingness to improve her language skills and physical well-being.
S. - for being balanced and caring, showing great improvement in his compassion towards others, and his ability to regulate his emotions.
Mountain A(4-year-olds)
L. - for being principled and always trying to do the right thing.
K. - for being caring and always offering to help her friends and teachers.
R. - L. - for being principled and always trying to do the right thing.
Mountain B(4-year-olds)
M. - for being balanced and having a positive attitude towards learning.
S. - for looking after herself and her belongings.
Sky(5-year-olds)
A. - for helping struggling friends in both Japanese and English and communicating her ideas in class.
M. - for being a fantastic problem solver and always taking care of his belongings.
S. - for always asking questions to further her understanding about the world around her.
Congratulations to this month’s recipients. Keep on sharing your awesomeness with the world!
Sky (5-year-olds)
Innovations Solve Problems
Sky Class recently embarked on a fun and educational journey exploring the world of innovations and how they help solve everyday problems. As part of our UOI, Where We Are in Place and Time, students began by discussing what innovations are and how they are created to make life better. We introduced the concept by looking at some familiar examples: the toothbrush, which helps protect teeth, walking sticks that assist blind individuals, and ramps that allow people in wheelchairs to access buildings. These examples sparked engaging discussions among the students about how these simple ideas were designed to address real-world challenges.
The students were then divided into pairs, each tasked with picking one of three common problems to solve. The problems were thoughtfully chosen to align with our Central Idea: Culture and history affects how we explore, innovate, and shape our world. Before jumping into the hands-on creation phase, the students first spent time discussing the problem in their pairs, sharing ideas, and brainstorming what kind of innovations could help solve them.
Once the brainstorming session was complete, the real fun began! Each pair was given a variety of recyclable materials—cardboard, plastic bottles, rubber bands, and more—and encouraged to use their creativity to build their solutions. The task not only helped them understand how innovations work but also gave them the opportunity to practice teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking in a tangible way.
As they worked through the challenge, Sky Class demonstrated the core attributes of the IB Learner Profile—being thinkers, inquirers, and knowledgeable. The students thoughtfully considered how their creations could work, asked important questions to help refine their ideas, and shared what they knew about the problems and potential solutions. Watching the children collaborate and come up with their own innovative solutions was an inspiring experience, as it showed how even at a young age, they are capable of making connections between the world around them and the history of human innovation.
This hands-on experience not only helped students gain a deeper understanding of the importance of innovation in solving real-world problems, but it also reinforced the power of teamwork and creativity. Sky Class has learned that innovation is not just about inventing new things, but about thinking critically and exploring how ideas can evolve to meet the needs of society. As they continue their inquiry into the ways culture and history influence the world, these young learners are already shaping their understanding of how they can make a difference, one innovative idea at a time.
COL: A World of Inquiry in Costumes and Lines
In preparation for the Celebration of Learning (COL), the children in Sky class studied five countries: Egypt, Japan, Morocco, Australia, and New Zealand. Each child then chose the country that interested them the most and began designing their own costume. They considered what colors they wanted to use, the reasons behind those choices, and what kind of designs they wanted to incorporate, all while engaging in discussions with their peers to deepen their exploration.
For example, a child who chose Egypt selected yellow for their costume and drew pyramid designs, while a child who chose Morocco used red and incorporated patterns from the Moroccan flag. The children expressed their interests and feelings through color and design, and their enthusiasm was evident.
In addition, the children also created their own lines for the COL presentation. During their research on the chosen country, they asked many questions and actively engaged in learning. For instance, one child shared, “The pyramids in Egypt are 150 meters tall!” while another said, “Morocco is famous for its short pasta called couscous!” They thought about how to share what they found fascinating with the audience. The children explored how to represent the culture they were interested in, deepened their knowledge through research with their teachers, and fully enjoyed the process of inquiry.
Sky class’s COL is coming together as a rich expression of the children’s ideas, curiosity, and initiative. We hope you’re looking forward to seeing their presentation!
Mountain A and B
(4-year-olds)
Limitless Creativity! - Mountain's UOI
Letting the Creative Juices Flow!
Throughout January, we've been on a wonderful journey exploring the many ways we can express ourselves. From mastering our skills in art, exploring line, colour, shape and pattern, to making musical masterpieces and dancing with joyful abandon, our classrooms have been buzzing with creativity! Let me explain some of the pictures we have chosen this month.
We've been grooving to all sorts of fun and interesting music: be sure to check out the slideshow to see us composing some of the next greatest hits! The students have been having a great time creating music to fit all sorts of themes, such as anger, sadness, happiness, disgust, calmness and more.
We've been busy exploring colors, textures, and all kinds of art materials! From painting to creating collages, we've had a blast expressing ourselves through art. My favourite art work this month was: all of them!
Did you know that we can tell stories with our bodies? We've been learning all about dance and expressing ourselves through movement. Whether the kids are shaking it to the sounds of Friday dance party, or creating their own moves through
Our magical Imagination Door has transported us to amazing new worlds this month! We've met fascinating characters, gone on exciting adventures, and used our imaginations to create stories with our peers. While it can be hard work collaborating with our friends and listening to everyone`s opinions, it can be really rewarding as well!
Something Special is in the works! We're putting all these amazing skills together to create something extra special for March 15th! We're combining our love of art, music, dance, and storytelling into a performance you won't want to miss!
Stronger Together - Team Work Makes the Dream Work!
With the COL approaching, we’re emphasizing the importance of teamwork in Mountain A. We’re focusing on how collaboration, teaching each other, and supporting one another can make us stronger together. It’s been wonderful to see the students learning to rely on each other as they work towards their goals.
As part of this, we’ve been encouraging the students to use more English during free time. This is an opportunity for them to help each other learn new words, translate for their classmates, and assist the teachers. It’s been amazing to watch them support one another in their language learning, working together to build their skills and strengthen their connections.
To help reinforce this message, we did a simple activity with sticks. We demonstrated that while it’s easy to break one stick, a bundle of sticks is much stronger and cannot be broken. This visual helped the students understand that just like the sticks, when we work together and support each other, we become much stronger and more resilient.
Through teamwork, we’ve been reinforcing that we are all stronger when we collaborate, help each other, and learn together. This lesson is not only important for our upcoming COL, but a valuable one that will benefit the students throughout their lives.
Once Upon A Time...
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As part of our current UOI we have been looking at creativity and the art of story telling. Over the past few weeks and with the approaching COL we have utilized our imaginations, telling stories through different mediums including puppet shows, interpretive dance, and group plays. Our Mountain friends are really a creative creatures and have shown a wonderful sense of curiosity and willingness to learn, using all of their prior knowledge, their experiences and their surroundings to create wonderful stories with inventive characters, settings and thought out storylines. Through such explorations their abilities to problem solve, work together collaboratively, negotiate and create have noticeably improved and it has been wonderful to see how each student has chosen to approach each task.
All of these skills are really helping with our preparations for our COL! We have been so happy to hear from families that students have been taking what they have learned at school home, spreading creativity wherever they go!
This Is How I Feel Right Now…
Hello, I’m Arisa and I’ve taken over as the homeroom teacher for Mountain B class since January. Thank you again for your support!
In just a few months, the children will move up to Sky class. When we talk about this, the children openly express how they feel: “I’m excited!” or “I feel a bit nervous…” Mountain class is currently working on the Unit of Inquiry (UOI) How We Express Ourselves. We’re exploring how emotions can be expressed—not only with words, but through body language, art, colors, and sound. The children are learning various ways to convey their feelings.
Expression is a powerful tool for developing both self-awareness and empathy. Through this learning experience, I hope the children gain confidence in expressing their own feelings and understand that it’s okay to have emotions that are different from their friends’.
Jungle
(3-year-olds)
Guardians of the Community!
In Jungle class, we've been learning about various communities, the people within those communities, and the roles they play. We started by discussing how a community can be any group of people who help each other. The most familiar to children of this age is the community known as family. Our families are all little communities in which we all have roles and help each other. We then expanded upon this by looking at many community helpers we see daily, helpers like police officers, doctors, delivery drivers, restaurant staff, teachers, and even students themselves!
To reinforce this knowledge, we changed the name of our Sports Day teams to Communities. We now have Red Community, Blue Community, Yellow Community, and Green Community. In our new communities, we learnt to help each other when our friends ask for it, and even to offer help when we think friends are having trouble.
We're really looking forward to progressing through this unit, learning more about the different kinds of communities, and linking it to our Celebration of Learning performance.
The Curious Case of Balanced Thinkers!
Naka Fire Station & Firefighters
Respect & Greetings ... Who is a firefighter?
What is in a Fire station?
What does fire truck do?
What is in a fire truck?
What is in a fire truck?
What is in a fire truck?
What is in a fire truck?
What is in a fire truck?
What is in a fire truck?
What is in a fire truck?
How does a fire truck work?
How does a fire truck work?
What tools do the firefighters use?
What tools do the firefighters use?
What tools do the firefighters use?
What tools do the firefighters use?
What tools do the firefighters use?
What tools do the firefighters use?
What tools do the firefighters use?
What tools do the firefighters use?
What tools do the firefighters use?
I can be a firefighter too!
I can be a firefighter too!
I can be a firefighter too!
I can be a firefighter too!
I can be a firefighter too!
I can be a firefighter too!
I can be a firefighter too!
I can be a firefighter too!
At CGK, we strive to nurture young learners to become balanced thinkers and inquirers which are part of the IB Learner Profile. This month, our exploration of communities and community helpers included a visit to the local fire station, offering our students an opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences.
An Inquiry-Based Approach : the visit fostered curiosity and critical thinking, key components of inquiry-based learning. By engaging directly with community helpers, pupils asked thoughtful questions and reflected on their observations, taking ownership of their learning process.
Promoting Balance and Empathy: through this experience, pupils developed a balanced perspective on the roles within a community. Observing the challenges faced by firefighters encouraged empathy and an appreciation for teamwork and resilience, essential traits for global citizens.
Building Connections to the UOI: the visit reinforced our How We Organise Ourselves UOI, deepening the pupils' understanding of how communities function. Hands-on experiences helped them think critically about systems that support safety and their roles within these systems.
Encouraging Lifelong Inquiry: this field trip exemplified the IB philosophy of cultivating lifelong learners. Experiencing the roles of community helpers firsthand inspired curiosity and a deeper connection to the world around them.
As we continue exploring communities, we aim to provide more opportunities for pupils to apply IB attributes in meaningful contexts, preparing them to thrive as inquirers and global citizens..
Ms. Adi
Creating an Environment for Learning Letters Through Play
To start the new year, we tried kakizome (New Year’s calligraphy). While many children have become familiar with recognizing names in English, some still feel uneasy about reading and writing hiragana, and some used to resist tracing letters. To inspire interest, we showed photos of elementary students doing calligraphy and explained that they would one day write with their own tools. This sparked motivation: “Let’s have fun with paint first!” we said, and the children responded, “I want to do it!” “It looks fun!” Everyone was eager to participate.
As they traced examples written in pencil, their personalities came through in the writing, creating charming works. They chose background colors, glued their pieces by themselves, and were thrilled with the results. Since then, more children have shown interest in hiragana, and during later practice, some proudly said, “This is easy!”
In Jungle class, we do not force reading and writing. We emphasize sparking interest—like wanting to read their own or friends' names or write a letter. We create a fun environment by using their favorite crayon colors or praising their efforts even if they color outside the lines. We support their curiosity, their willingness to try, and the joy of accomplishment.
In Mountain class, we begin practicing writing hiragana and the alphabet, with focus on pencil grip and stroke order. But in Jungle class, the emphasis is on building interest and developing fine motor skills as a foundation for writing.
Activities that use fine motor skills also help brain development. We value time spent drawing with crayons and playing with toys that develop finger dexterity. The busy boards received at Christmas—with shoelaces, zippers, and more—were a big hit and full of useful life skills. Children quickly pick up these skills with repeated practice. Tasks like fastening zippers and buttons on uniforms are great training for their hands.
Daily life challenges like these support their growth. We will continue to offer opportunities based on motivation and a sense of achievement. We appreciate your continued support at home.
Ocean A
(2-year-olds)
Ocean A’s Shape Exploration: Learning Through Fun Activities
This month, Ocean A class has been diving into the exciting world of shapes! We’ve been learning about all kinds of shapes—familiarizing ourselves with their names, recognizing their features, and exploring the many ways they surround us in our everyday lives. During Circle Time, we've been focusing on the names of different shapes and practicing their pronunciations. The children have been doing an excellent job remembering each shape’s name and saying them clearly. It’s been wonderful to see how engaged everyone is during these discussions!
Both our English and Japanese lessons have been filled with fun and interactive shape activities. Ocean A has been super eager to learn through hands-on experiences. We’ve set up learning centers where the children get to explore shapes in a variety of ways—tracing, drawing, coloring, building, and even matching different shapes to one another. Each activity helps the children understand the properties of shapes in a fun, engaging way. Not only have we been talking about shapes, but we’ve also been hunting shapes around the classroom and even outside. It’s been amazing to spot shapes in and around their everyday environment. The children are noticing these shapes all around them, and it's fantastic to see them start connecting what they’re learning to the world around them.
It’s been a month full of shape exploration, and Ocean A class has done a wonderful job embracing this learning journey. We’re looking forward to continuing to discover and create with shapes in the coming weeks!
Ocean A's Show and Tell: Sharing Winter Break Memories
We hope everyone had a wonderful Winter Break filled with joy, relaxation, and quality time with loved ones. Returning back to school and continue our learning journey, we’re excited to share the amazing progress our Ocean A friends have made in expressing themselves more vocally with their peers and teachers. To kick off the new year, we introduced an exciting activity: Show and Tell! This activity is a wonderful way to help children grow emotionally, socially, and intellectually. It gives our Ocean A friends a chance to share their experiences, build confidence, and strengthen their communication skills. Not to mention, it’s a fun and engaging way for them to practice storytelling and expand their vocabulary.
For our first Show and Tell, we focused on what our friends did during the Winter Break. During morning Circle Time, each child had the opportunity to talk about their special memories from the holidays, whether it was family time, fun activities, or their favorite holiday traditions. Watching them stand up in front of their peers and express what they did, what they saw, and how they felt was truly a moment of growth. Not only did they enjoy sharing their stories, but they also showed great listening skills when it was time for their classmates to speak. It was inspiring to see how engaged everyone was, asking thoughtful questions and showing genuine interest in each other’s experiences.
We want to thank all the parents for their continued support and collaboration in helping make these learning moments possible. Your involvement and encouragement play a huge part in the success of our class, and we couldn’t do it without you! We look forward to continuing these Show and Tell activities throughout the year, as they offer endless opportunities for growth, learning, and connection in Ocean A. Here's to more wonderful experiences ahead!
Snakes and Kites—So Much Fun in January!
After the winter break, the Ocean A children returned to school full of energy. They happily shared their holiday stories, which warmed our hearts.
In Japan, January is full of New Year traditions and games. This month, we incorporated these elements into our activities, using local community resources as well. While some things may still be a mystery to Ocean A friends, experiencing their home country’s traditions is just as important as global awareness.
Encountering the New Year Firefighter Ceremony:
One day on a walk to the city hall, we saw many firefighters in uniform—some in fireproof gear, others in dress uniforms. The children were buzzing with curiosity. It turned out there was a Dezome-shiki (New Year firefighter ceremony) and related event hosted by the Naka Ward Fire Department. We got to see several fire trucks and even try on firefighting gear, which the children loved.
The Zodiac and New Year Games:
In Japanese class, we also learned about the zodiac. Using picture story videos and art activities, the children grew familiar with this year’s zodiac sign. One activity was making snake kites. Tied to our current UOI How We Express Ourselves, the children chose from circle, triangle, or square bases and cut them into spiral shapes. Kites cut from triangles and squares looked more angular, while those from circles curled like coiled snakes—each one unique! We flew them outdoors, and the spinning motion brought smiles and laughter from the children.
Hopes and Expectations for Advancing to the Next Grade – A Fresh Start
As 2025 begins, the time left in Ocean A class is growing short. After returning from winter break, the children seem noticeably more confident and mature. They have gradually become aware that they will soon be moving up to Jungle class, and with great anticipation, they have begun preparing for the next stage of their journey.
Recently in Ocean A, we’ve been encouraging the children to take more responsibility for themselves. For example, they are practicing putting on and taking off their jackets, making sure to use the bathroom, and completing tasks like getting ready and cleaning up on time. We’ve seen a growing sense of independence. Beyond just taking care of themselves, they are also becoming more considerate of others. Some children have taken the initiative to carry shared items like the "Dinosaur Tissue" for outdoor play, while others respond kindly when asked, “Can I borrow that?” or “Can I join you?” Their kindness and empathy are clearly growing. In fact, our Ocean A class is filled with students who embody IB Learner Profile traits such as Caring, Balanced, Communicators, and Principled. As we approach the transition period, their development is truly remarkable.
We hope to make the most of this important time and will continue to support the children over the next three months so they can move on to Jungle class as Risk-Takers, Thinkers, and Reflective learners.
Ocean B
(2-year-olds)
Growing Together
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This season, Ocean B embarked on a beautiful journey of discovery with tulips. By exploring the natural world, we delved into the concepts of growth, change, and decay, using the beauty of tulips as a springboard for understanding these important ideas. This experience is not only teaching us about the cycles of life but also helping us persistently learn how to take care of ourselves, those around us, and the living and non-living things in our environment.
Our Ocean B friends were captivated by the tulips’ beauty and, together, we came up with the idea of nurturing the tulips from bulbs to full bloom. During our discussions, they quickly grasped the basic concepts needed for growth and survival: water, sunlight, and soil. We made the connection that just as tulips need these elements to grow, humans also have basic needs that must be met to grow and thrive. This sparked a deeper appreciation for the world around us and a newfound understanding of the interconnectedness of all living things.
This activity is also encouraging our Ocean B friends to understand the importance of helping others and sharing spaces. As they are caring for their tulips, they are naturally beginning to connect these lessons to their own lives—learning how to support one another, share, and respect everyone’s needs. They are discovering that while we can provide the necessary care and attention, there are some factors beyond our control, and the results might not always be as expected. Even though we are all hoping to see the tulips bloom beautifully, we are understanding that sometimes outcomes can be unpredictable, and that’s okay.
In addition to nurturing the tulips, they are learning how to document their observations. They are tracking the progress of their tulips on a calendar, sticking pictures and noting the changes they observe, which is helping them develop their skills in observation and reflection.
We are incredibly proud of how our Ocean B friends are engaging with this process. Their enthusiasm, curiosity, and resilience are making this learning experience both meaningful and successful.
Ocean B Friends Embrace Risk-Taking and Independence in Their Learning Journey
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Ocean B friends are demonstrating remarkable growth as risk-takers in their learning! Each day, these young learners eagerly explore new activities, embrace challenges, and step outside their comfort zones with enthusiasm. From playful interactions with their friends to mastering self-management skills, they are showing incredible courage in trying new things.
In both the IB context and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), being a risk-taker is about having the confidence to try new things, even when the outcome is uncertain. In the IB framework, risk-takers are individuals who approach unfamiliar situations with a spirit of exploration and a willingness to take on new challenges, demonstrating resilience and open-mindedness. In the EYFS, risk-taking is closely linked to children’s ability to explore the world around them, testing their ideas, and learning from their experiences as they build confidence and independence.
In the classroom, our Ocean B friends are becoming more independent by taking on tasks like changing clothes, using the bathroom at their own pace, and learning to follow new routines. These moments of self-sufficiency are helping build their confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, they are actively contributing to the classroom community by helping with simple tasks such as cleaning up, preparing for activities, and transitioning from one task to the next.
The development of these self-management and risk-taking behaviors is helping the Ocean B friends become more independent, confident, and adventurous learners. Their eagerness to tackle new experiences with curiosity and determination is inspiring, and it’s exciting to watch them grow and prepare for whatever comes next!
Learning Through Traditional New Year’s Activities
The new year has begun! In Ocean B, the children enjoyed several traditional Japanese New Year’s activities. These cultural experiences not only deepened their understanding of tradition but also helped develop creativity, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.
In Fukuwarai (a traditional face-making game), children used their imaginations to create funny and unique facial expressions. Instead of being blindfolded, they focused on controlling their hands while observing carefully—adjusting the placement of facial parts and trying different arrangements to match their mental images.
During a mochi-making activity with white clay, they practiced tearing, twisting, and rolling, which helped strengthen their finger muscles. They proudly showed their creations to their friends and teachers, sparking many fun conversations.
The children also tried their hand at Kakizome (the first calligraphy of the year), holding the brush with their fingers and experimenting with drawing shapes or copying the teacher’s writing.
At first, spinning tops was challenging, as it required precise pinching and movement, but with repeated attempts, many children got the hang of it. Some even tried spinning two tops at once using both hands!
Amidst many fine-motor activities, they also moved their entire bodies in traditional hanetsuki (badminton-style game), developing physical strength, balance, and focus.
Lastly, in kite flying, the children created two types of kites to encourage independence and creativity. Choosing their own designs and bringing them to life was exciting, and they ran energetically around the park flying their kites. Some even noticed how the wind helped the kites fly and began observing their movements after intentionally letting go.
In 2025, we will continue nurturing curiosity and a spirit of exploration. Thank you for your continued support!
Looking Ahead to Advancement – Balanced
Happy New Year! We look forward to another wonderful year together. The children have returned to school with a fresh mindset for the new year.
With only about three months until they advance to Jungle class, we asked the children, “Did you know you're going to become Jungle students soon?” They excitedly responded, “Yes, I know!” and “I’ll be four years old soon!” That excitement led us to reflect together on their daily habits. Are they putting away their smocks neatly after lunch? Are they asking “Can I borrow that?” when they want to play with a toy a friend is using?
We discussed what Jungle class older siblings might do in those situations and decided to start practicing those behaviors little by little. These small habits help make daily life smoother and more enjoyable, and the children, eager for advancement, are embracing the challenge step by step.
As part of the IB Learner Profile, being “Balanced” means thinking about how to create a happy life for ourselves and those around us—not just focusing on our own feelings, but also considering others’. As the children continue growing, we will keep supporting them in building this empathy and balance together.
Elementary School
Music 2024-2025
Learning music is a fundamental part of education. It is a form of pure self-expression, a real-world application of math, reaches into science and physics, incorporates poetry, and builds cultural understanding by connecting us to traditions from around the world. Through music, children develop critical thinking, discipline, and empathy—skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
Infusing CGK’s music program with both fun and purpose is a central focus. Our approach to teaching music seeks to strike an ideal balance between enjoyment and ensuring the experience is both academically enriching and intellectually rewarding.
General music classes are structured to focus on three musical elements: singing, rhythm, and instruments. Since classes are 45 minutes long, variation can occur from week to week depending on our term goals. In addition, the UOI (Unit of Inquiry) allows us to expand on greater musical ideas in a transcurricular manner. While we have had many successful lessons this year, students have shown notable progress with a few select ideas.
For example, in 2nd grade during Term 2, we focused on story elements enhanced by music. We started our UOI by looking at music like Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals, among others. This helped students hear connections to literary elements like characters, the setting, and the structure of a story: “beginning, middle, and end.” Next, students were asked to create a character that would be represented by an instrument. Then, students formed groups of three and created a story for their characters. Finally, they created musical ideas on their chosen instruments to represent their characters and performed in front of the class.
First-grade students’ UOI focused on instrument families, the differences between them, and how they make sound. The four instrument families are: strings, woodwinds, percussion, and brass. The goal was to learn how each instrument produces sound and the various ways to recreate it. We also looked at the physics of why instruments make sound, how sound moves through the air, and what vibration and waves are. Students were given a wide variety of supplies to work with and three class periods to create an instrument of their choice. The students enthusiastically worked on their instruments and came up with many unique takes on percussion and string instruments. Three brave students even created wind instruments (brass or woodwind).
Grade 3 worked hard toward a literary UOI as well, creating a poem based on a Van Gogh painting. Students then divided the poem into parts and created a melody using a C major scale, quarter notes, eighth notes, and rests. Dividing the words into musical syllables was challenging. Since most students cannot read the treble clef yet, a color system was used to notate their melodies. When they were finished, we arranged their melodies into a short choir song. Students were proud of the result.
Recently, grades 4/5 have been exploring the emotion behind music and the musical elements that create those feelings. We had our first extended listening and appreciation lesson, and students were extremely engaged. We listened to a playlist of many different genres, including classical, metal, Japanese pop, and rock. Students were enthusiastic about hearing music they may have never heard before and excited to recognize and appreciate artists they like. Next week, they will share their favorite music and discuss it in class with their peers in preparation for creating music for a transcurricular activity.
One of the most important parts of a musical education is the variety of experiences—both individual and group. We try to give students many opportunities to explore different instruments. We have had great success with ukuleles at our school, both in class and in the ukulele club. We focus mainly on chords, as this concept will later lead to a greater understanding of harmony, theory, and chord progressions. We have also had success with Nuvo recorders, which are keyed recorders that reduce the frustration of half-covered holes and intonation difficulties. In the coming years, we hope that 5th and 6th-grade students will progress to other Nuvo instruments (Toot, Doot, jSax) that develop embouchure for real wind instruments. We have recently incorporated Boomwhackers—pitched tubes that emulate a handbell choir—into our curriculum, which teaches students patience, group work, melody, and harmony. Students have also enjoyed working as a group with percussion instruments and particularly favor the cajón and djembe for creating rhythms.
In conclusion, the CGK music program is dedicated to nurturing students' creativity, curiosity, and collaboration through diverse musical experiences. By exploring various instruments, genres, and interdisciplinary connections, we aim to inspire a lifelong appreciation for music while equipping students with skills that extend far beyond the classroom. We are proud of the progress our students have made this year and look forward to continuing this journey of musical discovery and growth together. Thank you for your ongoing support in making music an integral part of our students’ education.
Afterschool
Upper Grades Wednesday Class
Hello everyone,
This is a little update about what is going on in the Afterschool Upper Grades class on Wednesdays.
Our driving question for this project is ‘how can two people see the same thing differently and why does this matter?’ This is a driving question that focuses on perspectives and different points of view and the students have come up with their own interesting ways of approaching this complicated topic.
At the start of the project students discussed what they thought words such as perspective, point of view, opinion, fact, and various other key vocabulary mean. Students had a lot of knowledge from previous projects that helped them with this terminology, and we could role play a lot of fun examples together.
Next, students discussed how we should structure the project and decided that the first half should be dedicated to telling prospective stories in a way that students were interested in. For the second half of the project we decided to look into how to be a good debater and hold a live classroom debate.
For the last two weeks students have been working on their perspective stories and each of the three groups have gone about this in very different ways.
Group one has been utilizing the green screen in the upper grades classroom to create an educational and fun video that explains how gestures and polite actions in one part of the world can be extremely rude in another part of the world. Different people ascribe different meanings to simple things such as gestures based on the perspective they hold.
Group two has been creating their own original story that highlights a difference in perspective between the characters. They are using 紙芝居 to tell their story.
The final group has a strong interest in cats so they have been looking into how ancient humans and cats' perspectives of each other changed over time to the point where cats have been fully domesticated. They will present their findings in book form.
In the next few weeks we will shift focus to exploring what makes a good debater and students will be challenged to think of topics from a variety of different view points and argue positions that they may not agree with.
I am looking forward to seeing their final debate and am hoping for a lively encounter!CGK Extra
Website Updates
[PS] [Inquiry Cycle] IB PYP UOI Class Introduction (4-year-old)
Upcoming CGK Study Abroad Information Session
CGK Study Abroad Information Session
February 15 (Sat.)
We’ll host the event in two sessions. Feel free to join either one or both!
Session 1 (11:15 AM–12:45 PM): For preschool families
Session 2 (3:00 PM–4:30 PM): For elementary, afterschool, and middle school families
- Learn about real experiences in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. We’ll share examples of how students grew and learned during their time abroad, answering your questions like, “What is study abroad life really like?”
Details/Registration: Information has been sent via Toddle on Jan 24.
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.
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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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