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Grade 8 design students are currently researching toys and looking at questions such as, 'What makes a toy popular?', 'What innovations have taken place over time?' and more. This is because the Grade 8 students will be making toys for some very special clients, Northbridge International School Cambodia Kindergarten students!
Last week the three Grade 8 classes each visited a Kindergarten class to meet their clients and learn more about the kind of toys that interest today's discerning Kindy student.
It was great to see how detailed the discussions got, as the Kindergarten students are also working on a toys-based unit, so everyone had knowledge and expertise to share.
Kindergarten Teacher Alex Richardson explains that, "Kindergarten's current Unit of Inquiry (UOI) is how toys and games change over time. So when the opportunity arose for a visit from the Grade 8's, the KG students were interested in questioning them about their favourite toys.
"The KG students wanted to know what the Grade 8's favourite toys were at different times in their lives (as a baby, and in Kindergarten, Grade 2, Grade 5 and Grade 8). The KG students were fantastic inquirers, asking the older students lots of questions to get the information they needed to complete their timelines.
"The Grade 8's showed great patience and support for the young inquirers by helping them with drawings and explanations of their toys."
The Grade 8 students will now synthesise the results of the talks with the clients and develop design specifications for the toys they will build. Grade 8 expect the toys to be completed in time for Christmas and will be providing video updates to the Kindergarten classes as the unit progresses.
The other week I was in Bangkok at the ASAC Basketball Tournament that is open for Grade 6 – 8 students from 9 competing schools across South East Asia. It gave me some time to reflect on the benefits and opportunities that our Northbridge students can access that will develop them holistically and physically.
Academic excellence is at the forefront of education, and whilst our duty as teachers is to foster this, we also have the responsibility to open students’ eyes to the wider world and their social responsibility within it.
Service- learning, or service as action, combines in school learning with supporting local communities, encouraging students to independently research local issues and take action to support those in need.
World Mental Health Day raises awareness of mental health issues around the world. It is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. World Mental Health Day was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is uniting with partners to highlight the vital connection between mental health and work.
Student leadership is a cornerstone of personal and community growth. By developing leadership skills early on, students gain confidence, responsibility, and the ability to inspire others—qualities that will serve them well throughout their lives.