From the Head of Primary 09.01.2021

“This is the best day of my life!” are the words I heard on Wednesday morning as I went in to say Hi to the children in Early Years. Possibly not the best day of my life but I was certainly over the moon to receive the news that KIS would be able to reopen and welcome students through the gates once more and it’s as though we have never been away. The children have effortlessly settled into their routines and are following the SOP like professionals. The children have gotten off to a great start with their exciting new Term 2 topics which include;

Year 1 – Adventure awaits. The children will learn how to locate the seven continents and five Oceans and will use maps, globes and atlases to explore different countries. In particular, they will compare Borneo with the Polar Regions and look at the differences between the two.

Year 2 – We Are What We Eat. The children will be looking at food glorious food and learning about the different food groups. They will learn how to make pizza packaging and study the artist Giuseppe Arcimboldi.

Year 3 – Animals and Living Things. The children will be studying a science based topic and will learn about animals and their nutritional needs.

Year 4 – Active Planet. The children will begin to learn about physical geography and in particular will study climate zones, rivers and mountains. They will also be finding out about natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes. Let’s hope this unit doesn’t end up being a disaster! 

Year 5 – Space. The children will be taking a journey into the unknown and will find out about the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the Sun in the solar system. This topic is out of this world. 

Year 6 – Gallery Rebels. The Year 6 topic for this term is art based and will focus on artists and craftspeople working in different times and cultures. The children will study the work of Banksy and Haring and come up with their own unique creations.

As well as warmly welcoming our new families to KIS we have another new addition in the form of Chewy a dwarf hamster. Chewy will reside in Early Years during the week and will eventually be cared for at the weekends by a different child in Reception or F1 each week. Much research has been done into classroom pets and we believe that Chewy will bring an added dimension to the learning in Early Years. If you have a pet at home you will know how much they can enrich your children’s lives and Chewy is proving to be no exception. Already the children are in the routine of feeding Chewy every day, refreshing his water and preparing his sand bath. When I went in to meet Chewy this week his daily feeding and cleaning routines were in full swing and I was immediately told by the children to be quiet and still – so not to frighten their furry friend. I think we may have a number of budding veterinarians on our hands.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Joanne Smith
Head of Primary