CGK Times
Maximizing your opportunities for happiness
in an increasingly global world
February 2025
Contents
Preschool
Take It from the Top
With mere weeks until the COL and Sky's graduation ceremony is here, the practices and preparations are fully underway. Beginning last year, COL is based on the children's ideas and their interests as we put together a fun show that celebrates their learning. You can read more about each class's COL preparation in the rest of this CGK Times.
If you haven't done so, make sure to clear your schedule on Saturday March 15.
Break a leg, CGK friends!
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)
A. - for being a caring friend who adjusts her voice level to suit the appropriate situations. And for being a risk-taker and accepting any challenge that is thrown her way.
B. - for demonstrating a reflective mindset and being a true risk-taker by embracing challenges with courage and learning from his mistakes.
E. - for being a caring and respectful communicator who supports those in need and expresses herself clearly and seeks help when necessary, demonstrating strong communication skills.
Mountain A(4-year-olds)
H. - for being balanced by taking care of her things and doing her best at whatever she tries.
Y. - for being an inquirer and asking many questions.
Mountain B(4-year-olds)
H. - for being a communicator who uses his English skills and always listening to his friends and teachers.
K. - for being principled and following the rules and always being honest.
S. - for being an inquirer and contributing to class discussions by always putting her hand up.
Sky(5-year-olds)
K. - for putting in a lot of effort and trying his best in swimming class.
R. - for being very knowledgeable and asking many questions every day and being a great problem solver.
Y. - for speaking much more Japanese and showing courage during swimming class.
Congratulations to this month’s recipients. Keep on sharing your awesomeness with the world!
Sky (5-year-olds)
Sky Friends Shine Bright: Preparing for Our Celebration of Learning
As we approach our much-anticipated COL, Sky Friends have been working diligently to bring together everything they've learned during our Where We Are in Place and Time UOI. Through this journey, they have explored the cultures, traditions, and artistic expressions of their chosen countries, making meaningful connections between their knowledge and their COL costumes. Their creativity and critical thinking have truly shined as they thoughtfully design outfits that reflect the unique elements of each culture.
This month, we had our first rehearsal at Kannai Hall, which gave us a fantastic opportunity to reflect on various aspects of our performance. From projecting our voices clearly to ensuring we are facing the right direction on stage, our young performers were incredibly observant, identifying areas for improvement. They also worked on transitioning their props smoothly from one place to another, recognizing how small details contribute to a seamless performance. We made sure to capitalize on the strengths they displayed during rehearsals, reinforcing their confidence and readiness for the big day. Their dedication to memorizing their lines—both at school and at home—is evident, and we cannot wait to see their hard work come to life on stage next month!
Alongside our COL preparations, we have also been focusing on practicing for our graduation ceremony. The children are learning the importance of lining up quickly and quietly, walking in gracefully, and accepting their diplomas with poise. As they rehearse their graduation songs, they are not only becoming more comfortable with the melodies and lyrics but also reflecting on the deeper meaning behind each song. They are understanding that graduation is not just a ceremony: it’s a celebration of growth, friendship, and the exciting journey ahead. Sky Friends want to leave a lasting impression, showcasing the importance of being kind, dependable friends who care for one another, regardless of cultural background or upbringing. They are embracing the future with enthusiasm, recognizing it as a new chapter filled with opportunities to learn, develop new skills, and become independent learners.
In addition to all the preparations, we have been delving into our latest UOI, Who We Are, with a special focus on maintaining a balanced and healthy lifestyle. The children have been particularly intrigued by learning about the heart and how to keep it healthy. As we prepare for our summative assessment, they are incorporating knowledge from their chosen countries, comparing and contrasting different cultural approaches to heart health. They have been exploring the consequences of unbalanced choices, deepening their understanding of how our daily habits impact our well-being.
It has been an incredible journey watching Sky Friends immerse themselves in their learning, embracing challenges, and growing in confidence. With just a few weeks left until our COL and graduation, we are excited to see their hard work, creativity, and dedication come together in a beautiful celebration of their learning and achievements!
Expressing Ourselves Through Costume-Making: A Creative Journey
As part of our preparation for the Celebration of Learning (COL), the Sky class students took on the challenge of creating their own costumes from start to finish. Each child spent time and effort to bring their ideas to life, carefully working towards completing their one-of-a-kind designs. Starting from their own costume sketches, they considered which fabrics and materials to use, cut them into their desired shapes, and arranged the pieces thoughtfully to craft original outfits.
The children enjoyed expressing their ideas through the selection of materials and colors, exchanging opinions with their peers and participating in the activity with great enthusiasm. While valuing their individual designs, they also learned from their classmates’ unique ideas and perspectives, leading to new discoveries along the way.
When the costumes were completed, the children’s faces beamed with pride and a sense of accomplishment. This moment further deepened their excitement and confidence toward the upcoming COL.
Each child enjoyed the process of creating a special costume just for themselves while considering how they would present their role on stage. Their approach reflected a strong sense of ownership, showing us how deeply engaged and eager they were to give their best performance.
Mountain A and B
(4-year-olds)
Mountain Class Bring Creativity to Life in Our COL Performances!
The Mountain children have been channeling their creativity into their COL performances, applying the knowledge gained from our recent UOI How We Express Ourselves. Throughout this process, they have explored various forms of expression and taken ownership of their performances, ensuring that each one is unique, meaningful, and personal. From music and scriptwriting to costume and prop design, they have played an active role in shaping every detail, making intentional choices that reflect their creativity and individual perspectives.
This month, we had our first practice at Kannai Hall, where the students had the opportunity to experience performing in a larger space. They experimented with voice projection, movement, and positioning on stage, considering how to effectively engage their audience. They also reflected on their performances, sharing observations and offering thoughtful suggestions on how to improve their delivery, clarity, and stage presence. This collaborative reflection encouraged them to think critically about their work, demonstrating the importance of revision and growth in the creative process.
Beyond performance skills, this experience has been a valuable opportunity for students to develop confidence, teamwork, and resilience. They have worked hard to bring their ideas to life and support one another along the way. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and enthusiasm, and they can’t wait to share their performances with you soon!
Our Journey to COL!
With only a few more weeks until our COL, the students anticipation for the big day grows larger and larger!
The students have all taken full ownership of their COL, coming up with everything from the music, costumes, story, plot, characters, problem and solution. They took the time to decide on their movements associated with their characters in Japanese class, and even made accompanying background music as well!
There is just enough time to make the final touches to our costumes, final additions and decorations to the set and continue practicing our script. Throughout our lessons and when we discuss the concept of 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.
Just a few more weeks until these children are Sky Class students! Can you believe it!?
Happy Valentine's Day!
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As the COL approaches much of our time has been devoted to decorating costumes, practicing our dancing and singing and getting to grips with our lines; whilst the students have been doing a fantastic job, even the hardest workers need a break now and then and so as we welcomed February, it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Valentine's Day! Not only was this a wonderful way to relax and learn, trying all kinds of different Valentine's themed activities, it was also a perfect chance to think about the people who are important in our lives and how we can show our love and appreciation for them!
As a class we spoke about what Valentine's means and how we can express our feelings to one another. The students got into groups and had to think of some of the things that they like about each other! This was a little embarrassing for some friends however we had some really lovely comments including 'this friend is kind' and 'this friend shares toys with me and makes me laugh.' Whilst it is always a good time to tell someone that you love them, as the end of the year approaches it was a great way to bond and show our gratitude to our friends for all that they do!
Almost Sky Class Students!!
Thank you very much for attending the recent open class for the Mountain class. Were you able to see how much your child has grown through their active participation in the lesson?
Even in the special setting of having family members present, the children were focused, listened attentively to their teachers, explained their activities confidently to their families, and engaged in their tasks with pride. These moments clearly showed their growth.
The children have also become more comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions in English. Recently, we’ve been incorporating more frequent "English Challenge Time" in the classroom. We’ve noticed that even without reminders from the teachers, children are starting to speak in English with each other, and proudly say things like, “I didn’t use any Japanese during English Time today!” They are becoming increasingly aware and excited to take part in English learning.
With only about one month left in the Mountain class, we look forward to making many more wonderful memories with friends and helping everyone prepare with confidence for their move up to Sky class.
Jungle
(3-year-olds)
By Jungle Friends. For Jungle Friends
As part of our current UOI, Jungle class has been working together to prepare for the upcoming event, the COL. Traditionally, performances by students are decided and prepared for, almost entirely by the teachers. This year, Jungle Class has contributed to every aspect of the preparation, from deciding the theme and characters, writing the script, designing the costumes and props, and everything in between.
But that's not all. We are also nearing the end of our year-long UOI, How We Express Ourselves, which has allowed us to combine preparation for COL with this Unit. How We Express Ourselves is all about learning through play and art, and what better way to express ourselves than by putting all of our heart into creating something that is, "By Jungle Friends, for Jungle Friends."
Everybody is super excited to show the CGK Community what can be accomplished when you work hard, and work together.
None of Us Is as Good as all of Us! - Ray Kroc
☆★ TEAM JUNGLE, THIS IS US! ★☆
Police visit and road safety presentation with all classes.
What is the job of a police officer exactly?
Question time ... raising true inquirers!
Building a community together.
Who are community helpers and what's our role in the communities we belong to?
Chinese New Year, culture and community.
Jungle Class is a community we belong to, and together, we help make it run better!
How to stay safe together or alone.
The joy of teamwork and team action shines through during free play!
The joy of teamwork and team action shines through during free play!
The joy of collaboration and teamwork shines through during free play!
The joy of collaboration and teamwork shines through during free play!
Jenga, focus, patience and support from peers! Collaboration in it's true form.
We are better and stronger together.
We are better and stronger together.
COL prep, Coming up with our own unique costume design!
COL prep, Coming up with our own unique costume design!
COL prep, Coming up with our own unique costume design!
Rehearsals and practice to better our teamwork.
One for all, all for one!
This month has been a dynamic period of exploration and learning for the Jungle class. With a schedule packed with engaging activities including collaborative playtimes with friends from other classes, insightful visits from police officers, swimming lesson with new classmates, and COL rehearsals and preparation our students have had numerous opportunities to develop key IB Learner Profile attributes.
As we prepare for the COL, our focus has naturally aligned with our current UOI on communities. The emphasis on teamwork and collaboration has been woven into nearly every experience, allowing students to recognize the importance of working together as a learning community.
A highlight of the month was a special visit from the local police officers. Our Jungle class students demonstrated patience and leadership as they sat alongside their younger peers from Ocean class, attentively listening to a road safety presentation. They engaged thoughtfully, answering questions and participating in quizzes before having the opportunity to hear firsthand about the role of a police officer. Their curiosity was evident as they posed insightful questions such as, "Who can become a police officer and how?", "What’s inside a police car?", "What do you use to catch bad people?", and "What happens when someone is caught by the police?"
Leading up to the visit, students engaged in both an English and a Japanese session where they collaborated as a class to formulate their questions. This experience not only reinforced their understanding of inquiry but also empowered them to take an active role in their own learning.
Throughout these experiences, we have seen our students grow in confidence, especially in expressing their thoughts and questions. They are becoming competent inquirers, taking ownership of their own learning, seeking answers, and demonstrating a genuine eagerness to explore the world around them. At this stage, independent research may not yet be second nature to them, but they are beginning to understand that knowledge can be gained through multiple sources, including the people around them and books. In previous lessons, we have practised using books as research tools, reinforcing that curiosity paired with accessible resources can lead to meaningful discoveries.
As educators, our role is to provide these young learners with diverse and enriching experiences that ignite their natural curiosity. When students are genuinely interested in a topic, their motivation to learn deepens, and they begin to take the lead in their own educational journey. It is truly inspiring to witness their growth as inquisitive and engaged members of our learning community.
Ms. Adi
Creating a Literacy-Rich Environment Through Play
Thank you very much for attending our open classes, class meetings, and individual conferences recently. We were very happy to hear so many positive impressions such as, “I was so moved to see my child trying so hard at CGK,” and “It was great to see them understanding and responding in English.”
During the individual conferences, many of you shared that your child still needs support with tasks such as changing clothes, eating meals, and tidying up at home. In response, we focused a recent lesson on the "family community" and discussed the roles and responsibilities within the household.
We asked questions like “Who does the cooking and laundry in your house?” and “What are everyone’s roles?” The children pasted pictures of the family members who do certain tasks on a worksheet and marked with a circle the chores they could already do themselves. During the activity, some children realized that while going to work earns money, household chores don’t. This led them to come up with great ideas such as “I’ll help out more!”, “I’ll do what I can by myself!”, and “I’ll say thank you!”
Have you noticed any changes in your child since then? More children are now able to do things on their own. At CGK, their motivation to play and move on to the next activity is so strong that we often see them getting dressed and ready quickly, sometimes even encouraging one another to do so. It may take time, but we want to continue nurturing children who are proactive, appreciative of everyday support, and capable of expressing gratitude naturally.
We also recently welcomed local police officers to visit and teach the children about traffic rules and the duties of police officers. While some children were initially a little nervous, the officers were kind and engaging, and by the time the Q&A session started, many children eagerly raised their hands to ask questions. One officer told the children, “You’re all going to grow up to be wonderful adults!”—a comment that made them beam with joy. Hearing directly from a police officer and learning about their work made for a truly meaningful and memorable experience.
Ocean A
(2-year-olds)
Ocean A Gears up for COL: A Celebration of Creativity and Collaboration
Ocean A class has been working hard preparing for our Celebration of Learning COL performance. With dedication and enthusiasm, everyone has come together to create captivating props and wonderful backgrounds that will bring their performance to life.
A highlight of the process has been decorating the food-shaped props, where each student showcased their creativity through vibrant colors and imaginative designs while working together. We used various materials and textures to create each food-shaped props and make them look delicious on stage The excitement didn’t stop there—designing costumes with various shapes allowed everyone to express their individuality while aligning with the overall theme of the event.
Throughout the preparation, it was inspiring to see the high level of engagement and motivation from everyone involved. Their collaborative spirit and passion have truly made this journey a memorable one. As the COL event approaches, Ocean A is eager to showcase their hard work and creativity, making it an experience to remember for all.
Building Leadership Skills in Ocean A Class
Ocean A has recently introduced class leaders, and the students have shown great enthusiasm in taking on this new role. Many students are eager to assist their teachers and complete the small tasks assigned to them. The opportunity to be a class leader has sparked excitement, with students eagerly awaiting their turn.
Each day, a new pair of class leaders is announced during Circle Time, a moment that Ocean A friends look forward to with anticipation. The class leaders are entrusted with various responsibilities, including delivering library pouches to the office, holding the dinosaur tissue bag, leading the class during outdoor time, offering morning greetings, and initiating the lunchtime song.
Taking on the role of class leader helps students develop essential skills such as responsibility, organization, effective communication, and adaptability. It also fosters teamwork and collaboration as students learn to support and motivate their peers. Through these leadership experiences, Ocean A students are building confidence and valuable life skills that will benefit them both inside and outside the classroom.
Food Education: The Joy of Making and Sharing Lunch
This month, we gradually began practicing for the Celebration of Learning (COL), which will take place on Saturday, March 15. At first, the children had lots of questions like, “What’s COL?” and “Is it a stage? A hall?” But as they sang, danced, wore costumes, and practiced speaking, it became clear that COL practices felt like a natural extension of their daily life at school. They have been joyfully engaging in the activities.
One of the themes for Ocean A’s COL is lunchtime. When they first joined the class, some children were hesitant about certain foods or struggled to eat on their own. But over time, they began to enjoy lunchtime with their friends. Now, we often hear cheerful voices saying “I’m hungry!” or “Seconds please!!” making lunch one of their favorite parts of the day.
This month, our Japanese UOI lessons also centered around food-related activities. In a pretend play activity, the children made bento lunches. They started with a role-play of shopping at a store, then used play food items to make their own bento boxes. Using their imagination, they decided what they wanted to include and expressed their ideas. They mimicked eating their creations with delight and seemed to enjoy sharing those moments with teachers and friends.
We also went on a real shopping trip to the supermarket and made rice balls (onigiri) together. First, the children discussed what ingredients were needed. Based on their experiences and discussion, they decided what to buy and actively participated in the shopping. This time, they showed more responsibility—being quiet in the store, refraining from touching items unnecessarily, and demonstrating proper manners. These moments showed us just how much they have grown.
Through these food-related activities, we observed development in all five ATL (Approaches to Learning) categories: thinking skills, research skills, social skills, self-management skills, and communication skills. We will continue to support and nurture the children so they can keep strengthening these important skills.
Oni Out! What Kind of Oni Lives in Your Tummy?
While the Ocean A children have been working hard on their COL practices during English time, they’ve also been actively learning about seasonal traditions during Japanese lessons. February means Setsubun in Japan, and when we started our activity with the song “Oni wa soto,” some children excitedly shared, “At my house, an oni comes!” and other fun comments.
We introduced the picture book O-Naka no Naka ni Oni ga Iru (There’s an Oni in My Tummy), and when we asked the children, “What kind of oni is in your tummy?” they joyfully responded with things like “Angry oni!” and “Hungry oni!” These kinds of topics are always a hit with the children.
One memorable moment occurred when a child with a painful hangnail tear told the teacher about it through tears and then pointed to their tummy, saying, “The Crybaby Oni is in there!” When the teacher pretended to pull the oni out and throw it away with a “Poof!”, the child’s tears turned to a big smile. By personifying emotions as oni and pretending to get rid of them, the children found it easier to shift their feelings.
As Setsubun approached, the children also made their own oni hats. Choosing the color of the paper, the number of horns, the facial expression, and the hairstyle—through this creative process, we could really feel how much their expressive and imaginative abilities have grown over the past year. It was adorable to see them wearing their completed hats and pretending to scare their teachers, shouting, “I’m an oni!”
Ocean B
(2-year-olds)
Behind The Scenes
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Each student selected the character they wished to portray in 'The Big Turnip Story.
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They created the initial design of their bus at school and then brought it home to collaborate with their families to complete it.
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Starting with the question, 'Where are we going?' we created a mini map for our vehicles, which then became the inspiration for our background.
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They were dedicated not only to making their own costumes unique but also to creating colorful and meaningful props, all driven by their creativity.
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Our first rehearsal at Kannai Hall was filled with anticipation. Ocean B freiends thoroughly enjoyed the experience of performing on stage.
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Our little voices may not be heard on stage, but that's okay—we recorded our singing voices instead.
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We had a brief discussion and reflection on our first rehearsal, and the Ocean B friends decided to refine certain parts of our performance. It was amazing!
Listening, Sharing, and Growing
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Our dear Ocean B friends are showing impressive growth in becoming open-minded learners! Even at the early age, they are learning the value of respecting one another’s ideas, preferences, and thoughts. They actively listen to their friends during play and group activities, demonstrating empathy and understanding beyond their years.
In the classroom, everyone fosters a positive and inclusive atmosphere by truly valuing each other’s ideas. During free play, when asked, 'What do you want to play?' they express their thoughts and listen to their friends' responses, showing respect for one another’s choices. When the time comes for outdoor play, and teachers ask, 'Where do you want to go for outdoor play?' they eagerly share their preferences, carefully considering the ideas of their friends. Similarly, during CoL preparation, when asked, 'How do you want to make our props?' we discuss and collaborate with one another, respecting each other’s creative ideas and opinions. And, they eagerly shared their ideas and collaborated when it came to making their costumes.
As they continue to grow, they are forming strong relationships with their friends by listening to and respecting each other. This not only helps them strengthen their social and communication skills but also builds the foundation for a future of collaboration and learning. It's truly inspiring to watch how they are creating a classroom culture where all ideas are appreciated, and every voice is heard.
Setsubun: Oni Out, Good Luck In!
In February, we celebrated Setsubun! The Ocean B children explored this traditional event in various ways and truly enjoyed the inquiry process. Questions like “What is an oni?”, “Why do we throw beans?”, and “Why do we eat ehomaki?” naturally arose from their curiosity. We explored these topics from multiple angles to unravel the mysteries together.
We started by researching the origins and meaning of Setsubun using picture books and slideshows. Then, we engaged in hands-on activities such as making oni masks, crafting beans, and pretending to make ehomaki. These experiential activities helped deepen the children’s understanding.
For the oni mask-making, the children combined different shapes and learned about design balance and composition. In the bean-making activity, they used different types of paper—rolling, crumpling, and squeezing them—engaging their fingers and palms in fine motor development.
For the ehomaki play activity, the children used colorful paper to represent vegetables, meat, or fish, using their imagination to enjoy crafting. Some children even pretended to feed their handmade ehomaki to a picture of an oni’s mouth—demonstrating just how far their imagination could take them!
To wrap it all up, they also made their own handmade boxes to hold the beans, completing their Setsubun preparations. Even though they’re still small, by creating these items themselves, they were able to better understand and appreciate the significance of Setsubun.
During the actual Setsubun event, the children were initially surprised by the teacher-dressed oni, but quickly gained courage and shouted “Oni wa soto!” while throwing beans just like they had practiced. They must have felt reassured knowing they had driven out the “bad” oni—like sickness and anger—that might be lurking in their daily lives.
As Japan’s traditions evolve with time, it reminded us of the importance of passing these customs down to the next generation, not just as cultural knowledge, but as enriching experiences that help children grow in heart and spirit.
Learning Through Experience
One of the IB Learner Profile attributes is "Knowledgeable." Throughout the year, the Ocean B class has gained a wide range of knowledge through various experiences. For example, in April, some children didn’t know how to share toys with their friends and often ended up fighting over them. However, through experiences like realizing, “It makes me sad when something is taken without asking,” or “When I said ‘Can I have it?’ they shared it with me,” they gradually learned, “Oh, this is how I should do it!” These realizations were gained through trial and error. Even if children understand something in their heads when the teacher tells them, no learning experience is more impactful than what they actually go through and feel themselves. With both joyful and complicated emotions, the children are growing each and every day.
Currently, Ocean B is also growing tulips. From going out to buy the bulbs to planting them in pots, the children are now enjoying caring for them daily by watering them. At the beginning, we explained what tulips need to grow (water and sunlight) and how they grow through videos and pictures. However, through actually caring for the tulips themselves, the children made discoveries they hadn’t encountered in the pre-learning stage. For example, they noticed differences in how their tulips were growing compared to their friends’ tulips. They are observing from various angles and deepening their understanding.
Not only are they learning through instruction, but they are also gaining deeper understanding through real experiences and emotional connections. We will continue supporting them so they can continue to learn in this meaningful way.
Elementary School
Implementing Curwen Hand Signs in the Music Program
Do
Ti
La
Sol
Fa
Mi
Re
Do
How do we understand melody, as well as harmony? While music is a subjective idea that means many different things to many people and cultures, we have a universal understanding of pitch, intervals, and singing as a prevailing force in music. In this, how exactly does a melody take shape? We can understand melody even without knowing what the word is or it’s meaning through singing with our favorite songs, plunking out something recognizable on piano, or even humming a nursery rhyme. Melody is the part of the song that you hum or sing and usually what is most recognizable. It is usually the main idea of a piece of music and a great melody is the part that a listener will most likely remember. Unlocking western music theory through pitch requires many tools to get a complete understanding. Curwen hand signs fulfill many roles in learning music, as well as providing another way to understand pitch and even adding to ear training.
A visual for higher and lower pitches
For those unfamiliar with the method, Curwen is a system of hand signs that are associated with pitch and are used as a physical representation of the organized sound. For example, we start Do around the stomach area and end high Do around the face, signifying the associated height with the higher or lower pitch. They are used in many forms of pedagogy and have been established as a great tool for young music students.
Understanding intervallic jumps
While it is important to understand and play scales, music is not only scales. Melodies jump up and down and harmonics overlap in colorful and interesting combinations. Using hand signs gives us a physical way to understand where we are in relation to pitch, and how the music ascends or descends, as well as the intervals we jump to.
Ear training
Not everyone is born with perfect pitch. Even a professional musician may not be able to tell you what pitch is being played without the context of key center or the associated chord. However by using hand symbols in association with certain intervallic exercises, a keen sense of relative pitch can be developed and fostered.
Tension and resolution within the context of a scale
Sing “Twinkle, Twinkle” or “Happy Birthday” but leave out the last note. This uneasy feeling is called musical tension; a major driving force of harmonic motion in music. Arguably the most important aspect of the Curwen Hand Signs is understanding the inherent relations between tension and resolution. The pitches Do, Mi, Sol, and upper Do, are all resting tones while Re, Fa, La, and Ti are all passing tones. The hand symbols associated with passing tones create a physical tension within the hand which leads to it’s associated resolution, ie Re to Do, Fa to Mi, La to Sol, and Ti to high Do. Just by looking at two of the hand positions, Ti makes the shape of a finger pointing upward, and it’s natural resolution is a closed hand upward from Ti. By practicing Curwen hand signs, we again subconsciously build an understanding of tonal resolution.
In addition to the hand signs, color is often used as a way to quickly understand the pitch. At CGK, all of our pitched instruments are labeled with colors to provide an easier learning curve to jumping onto an instrument with minimal training. While instruments can be tagged with colored stickers, vocal pitches cannot. Colored pictures of Curwen hand signs can bridge the gap between the ideas of vocal pitches and the pitches that instruments make.
Chromatic hand signs are sometimes used (Ascending: Do Di Re Ri Mi Fa Fi Sol Si La Li Ti Do; Descending Do Ti Tay La Lay So Say Fa Mi May Re Rah Do) but are quite complicated and not often useful in the context of elementary school music.
The musical education of grade school students is a critical time to implement these ideas intervals, tension/resolution, and ear training, and Curwen handsigns are a critical exercise in their education. With these tools instilled in their minds early, they will have a critical advantage when it comes to learning a new instrument, singing, and especially composing.
Afterschool
Second Grade's Friday Project
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Hi all,
I'd like to share with you what the Second Grade class at Afterschool has been working on during their Friday projects. The theme for this presentation was Student Choice. After brainstorming together, students selected the topic of exploring and creating art for their project.
During the initial weeks, students were given the opportunity to delve into their individual areas of interest. Some focused on fan art inspired by their favorite video games, such as Splatoon, while others explored mixed media pieces or worked on refining existing artistic skills.
After a few weeks of independent exploration, students found themselves uncertain about the next steps in their projects. With that, we decided to study various art styles and renowned artists to get inspiration. This exploration included styles such as abstract art, pop art, and geometric art, among others.
This project has proven to be an excellent opportunity for students to acquire new vocabulary related to art and to experiment with different artistic styles, all while incorporating their personal ideas into their work. It has been especially rewarding to observe how students are drawn to different styles and engage in discussions with their peers about their creative visions.
The artworks created so far are great, and I look forward to seeing the students' future creations, as well as their presentations to parents during Presentation Week.
CGK Extra
Currently recruiting participants for study abroad programs
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Australia / New Zealand / Canada
The deadline for summer study abroad is the end of March 2025.
We will send you a separate notice via Toddle at a later date, so please check it.
- 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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