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PIPS News A Bi-Monthly Newsletter

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Dates To Remember:

January 8th

School Resumes

24th – 25th School Photos

February 14th Lunar New Year Celebration

15th -23rd Lunar New Year Break (All classes suspended)

26th School Resumes

March 1st World Book Day

2nd Parent Teacher Conferences

28th International Day

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Issue 3 January 2018

Christmas Festivities 2017 On 14th December, the school was once again filled with festive cheer. There were a variety of Christmas activities, including a visit from Santa in his grotto, Christmas Disco, Christmas sensory play, Christmas Art and Craft, a Jumble Sale and Christmas tattoos. Thank you to the class mums for helping to coordinate food to be brought in and to all the parents for preparing and providing food. The event ended with a round of Christmas carolling by each of the classes. We thank you for your patience and cooperation during the carolling and performance, and hope you had a lovely winter break with family and friends. On behalf of Hong Kong Dog Rescue, we would like to thank you for all your support for the organization. We collected a total of $7000 to donate to them to help support homeless dogs and all the work they do.

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Learning through Inquiry and Play

Our philosophy at PIPS is to encourage our young learners to observe, explore, collaborate, reason, problem-solve and evaluate through inquiry and play. Inquiry is a natural process that begins at birth; babies will observe faces, grasp at objects and turn their heads to the sound of familiar voices to construct meaning and understanding. As children develop, they continue to form much of their understanding of the world through the process of inquiry. Play is a vital part of learning through inquiry because hands-on, inquiry based learning experiences foster exploration, problem solving, discovery and curiosity. Knowledge is constructed through active learning; using real-life situations to engage and challenge children’s thinking. Children learn by exploring their environment, whether they are at home, in school, at the park, inside or outside.

The role of the teacher in inquiry and play is that of a facilitator and co-learner; to find out children's existing knowledge and interests and to build and scaffold to enable them to construct new meaning. Teachers create a stimulating environment and provide resources that nurture inquiry and help children to build the necessary skills and attitudes to become independent lifelong learners. Teachers ask questions and encourage independent thinking to allow children to construct their own meaning and make sense of key concepts and ‘big ideas’. At PIPS we ensure our learning environment is set up to encourage and facilitate inquiry, exploration and play, in our classrooms, as well as outside and in our shared areas. Learning areas are developed and abundant learning opportunities are offered that are significant, relevant, challenging and engaging. Through inquiry and play, children develop skills and knowledge in all subject and developmental areas; language, mathematics, PSPE, arts, science and social studies.

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Issue 3 January 2018

Our Pre-Nursery classes are currently inquiring into transport systems under the transdisciplinary theme ‘How We Organize Ourselves’. They went on a trip to TST using the Star Ferry to find out more about transport facilities and systems! They have also been exploring signs and their meaning.

Our Nursery classes are finding out more about where food comes from under the transdisciplinary theme ‘How the World Works’. They went on a field trip to Peng Chau Island for hands on experience of seeing food in a supermarket, wet market and even vegetables growing on an organic farm! They have become risk-takers cooking and trying new and varied foods together.

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Issue 3 January 2018

Our LKP classes are just beginning their inquiry into a fascinating unit about ‘Maps’ under the transdisciplinary theme ‘Where We Are in Place and Time’. They will be learning many new skills and knowledge as they explore different types of maps and their uses, and learn to create their own. They will be visiting HK Zoological and Botanical Gardens to put their mapping skills into action! They have previously been inquiring into water alongside their yearlong celebrations unit.

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Issue 3 January 2018

Extra Curricular Activities

Extra curricular activities can benefit children of all ages by helping them develop lifelong skills and hobbies. The best extra curricular options evolve as children grow. They can discover extra curricular preferences by doing new activities every year. ECAs for children enable them to explore their interests in stress-free environments. It provide an extra opportunity for children to make new friends, become physically active, learn new skills, develop confidence and language. Pre-school and kindergarten students should only participate in one or two ECAs to avoid overwhelming them and interrupting their playtime. Types of ECAs appropriate for these age groups include dance class, soccer, karate, music and language classes. They might also enjoy painting, drawing and art-based activities to enhance their fine motor skills.

PIPS has a wide variety of Extra Curricular Activities for students to participate in. We are excited about these activities and encourage you to take advantage of all the opportunities! It is a great time to explore your child’s interest, try new activities and meet new friends. For enrolment, please check with the school office.

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Issue 3 January 2018

Coming Soon to PIPS…

Wednesday, 14th February 2018

For Children – Regular Session For Adults – 10:30am – 11:30am