Finding Their Own Learning Rhythm

After the first few weeks settling into the new school year, SenTia Primary students are gradually finding their own learning rhythm. That rhythm can be a focused moment bent over a page, a lively exchange within a group, or something sparked by a single question that makes the children want to find the answer together.

In Art class, Grade 1 students observed the properties of a circle, then looked around the classroom for objects with that same shape. From one circle on a page, one child turned it into a cat, another drew a rabbit, a turtle, or an adorable ice cream cone. Starting from the very same point, each drawing went on to tell its own story of imagination.

In Grade 2, a review session called “Fun with Maths” took students through four challenge corners. At each corner, the children took on a new role: “mental maths expert,” “problem-solving expert,” “numeracy expert,” and “analysis expert.” Familiar calculations and problems became an opportunity for the children to apply their knowledge in different ways and work together with friends to complete each task.

In Grade 3, students explored the book Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window and discussed Totto-chan’s Tomoe School – what makes it different from SenTia, and what feels familiar? When they reached the chapter about a walk, the class stepped outside too, taking a walk around the school to look at familiar spots with fresh eyes. Back in the classroom, the children wrote down what they had noticed and their own reflections after reading, in reports that carried their own personal touch.

In Grade 4, the teacher brought the poem “My Autumn” out onto the school yard. Amid the yellow of chrysanthemums, the fragrance of young cốm wrapped in green lotus leaves, and persimmons hanging on their branches, the children looked, touched, tasted, and shared what they felt. When they returned to the poem, the images of autumn were no longer just words on a page – they were now tied to what the children had just experienced for themselves.

In Grade 5, a descriptive-writing lesson began with a walk around SenTia. The children brought along paper and pen, each choosing a spot in the school yard to pause and observe: the tree canopies, the pathways, the flower beds, and even their friends studying in the shade. Some stood and looked around to find the right angle to describe, while others sat down to jot down details they had just noticed. From these notes, the children found their own way to bring the familiar scenery of their school into their writing, through their own words and impressions.

From a single pencil stroke, a maths task, to an essay about their own school, students are growing more comfortable with observing, diving into a task, trying out ideas, and sharing what they discover. That is the learning rhythm taking shape, day by day, at SenTia.

As we close out September’s learning stories, we invite parents to watch our adorable Penguin class’s delightful performance!