A Joyful Farewell: Celebrating Our Year of Growth and Learning

Welcome back to Ms. Julieta’s classroom blog! It is hard to believe that this is our last blog of the fantastic 2023-2024 school year. It has been a wonderful journey full of exciting learning and amazing moments. Watching my class grow and mature is the best reward of all.

Since our last blog, we have been very busy preparing ourselves to become more responsible and independent learners. This term, we have engaged in exciting IPC units such as Green Fingers and Earth Our Home. Through these units, we have connected more with our planet. The children learned how to take care of plants, understand their growth process, and recognize the importance of plants for our survival. In class, we created our very own mini-garden, where we hosted several herbs and grass patches that the children diligently planted and cared for until they were fully grown. With these herbs, the children created their very own herbarium, describing and illustrating their chosen herbs. Take a look at our book online https://read.bookcreator.com/fRlZhJBoUCNjq5NicJiLQGUwsKh1/KvRG_EFkRSWnZJzMdkCf5w. We explored the complex process of photosynthesis and learned how plants give us oxygen in exchange for carbon dioxide. At the same time, the children discovered the different biomes of the planet and the interactions between plants and animals within these biomes. To complement our learning, we went on two trips: one to the botanical garden of the University of Ghent and another to the Antwerpen Zoo.

As our last literacy project this year, we explored the storybook “The Great Kapok Tree” by Lynne Cherry. Through this book, we discussed deforestation and how individuals can make a small difference by making different choices. Inspired by this book, everyone wrote a story, focusing on a good story structure with a beginning, middle, and end, and interesting characters and settings. We compiled all the stories into another classroom book! It was amazing to see how much the children utilized their newly acquired knowledge to craft their stories. They wrote stories about the desert, rainforests, and taigas!

This term, we also celebrated our International Festival, where our class learned a lovely dance from Scotland, choreographed by our talented Ms. Elspeth! It was wonderful to see the children dancing and enjoying themselves during the festival. Thank you to all the parents who made this event a fantastic experience.

As always, during our Numeracy lessons, both Year 1 and Year 2 students continued to polish their arithmetic skills. Year 1 students began to understand multiplication, while Year 2 students worked hard on memorizing some timetables and understanding division. Well done, everybody!

This term, we celebrated three birthdays: Kei, Dylan and Oscar! Thank you so much for sharing lovely treats with us!

As cycles close and new ones begin, we are saying goodbye to some of our friends this year. Thedas and Adriana will be moving on to a new school, and we wish them all the best in their future studies! I also want to extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all my Year 2 students as they transition to Middle Primary. It has been a pleasure learning alongside you, and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you. I look forward to seeing you around next year, in the hallway, during assemblies, and other school events. Please remember to stop by from time to time to say hi! You will always hold a special place in my heart and my classroom.

On this note, I would like to wish everyone a fantastic summer and a well-deserved break! Reflect on all the wonderful experiences and knowledge gained this year. It has been an extraordinary school year, and I am deeply grateful for the support, enthusiasm, and dedication from students, parents, and colleagues. Thank you all for making this year truly unforgettable.

Ms. Julieta