The Tiger, 27th January 2023

The Chinese Lunar New Year is the most important festival among Chinese-speaking communities. This festival is also known as 春节(chūn jié), meaning Spring Festival.

According to the lunar calendar, 2023 is the year of the Rabbit. The first day of the Lunar New Year was the 22nd of January.  A series of activities were arranged during the Spring Festival to explore and understand Chinese culture.

The P4 students learnt about the story of Nian. The P5 students learnt about the Chinese zodiac and their zodiac signs based on their birthdays. The P6 students learnt to write the character "fu", which means luck or blessing, and then pasted it upside-down on the door.

The P7 Hindi and Chinese learners learnt to make red envelopes and shared them with the P7 classes. The P8  Hindi and Chinese learners learnt to write the Spring couplets with brush and ink and learnt their meaning. Their learning experiences were shared at the PYP Community Time.

Mathomania

The M1 students used the art of origami to explore and create 3D stars, prisms, pyramids and polyhedrons while learning about polygons and solids. They discovered how octahedrons, dodecahedrons are formed. They created stellated dodecahedrons and icosahedrons, taking their learning to an experiential level. They will learn more about angles and symmetry. The M1 students were also involved in a Rangoli competition that involved a theme on patterns for Fibonacci Day.

The Mathematics department was truly in a Mathomania mood while celebrating  Fibonacci Day (11- 23).

The D1 Math AA HL students had a guest lecture by Dr. James Tanton, from the Mathematical Association of America. The students were engrossed in bee numbers and were fascinated by its different forms. Most maths classes celebrated Fibonacci, with guest speakers, demonstrations and competitions.

English Language and Literature 

Over the last few weeks, the English Language and Literature students have been involved in a variety of activities, both in class and out. Please find a sample of some of the fun below!

Author Visit: Vikram Agnihotri

On the eve of International Disability Day, Friday, 2nd December, author, speaker and race car driver Vikram Agnihorti visited Stonehill to share his experiences as a double amputee with the M3 and M4 students. He also shared his process for writing his new graphic novel, “Look Ma, No Hands!”. Mr. Agnihotri is a riveting speaker with a highly unique perspective, and the students enjoyed interacting with him.

D1: “Maus” Conflict Resolution Role Plays

Much of the DP English classes focus on the assessment components, which primarily gauge students’ analytical skills. However, to deepen student understanding of the texts they read and develop ATL Skills, the students regularly engage in more creative tasks.

In early January, after completing the graphic novel “Maus”, about the experiences of a Holocaust survivor and his son, the students reviewed the various conflicts of the novel, and how these are related to the novel’s themes. The students then wrote and performed a Conflict Resolution role play, in which a mediator helps characters resolve their interpersonal conflicts.

M1: “The Little Prince” Skit for P6 students

On the last day before the Winter Break, the M1 students performed scenes from “The Little Prince” for the P6 students. As a class, the M1 students were tasked with choosing pivotal plot points, writing scripts based on events in the novel, and rehearsing their scenes before the final performances.

Through this activity, the M1 students better understood the plot and themes of “The Little Prince” and developed skills in collaboration, on which they were provided feedback by the teacher. The P6 students enjoyed the performances and were happy they had the opportunity to preview the types of tasks that await them in M1.