Welcome back to school, and we hope you all had a fantastic National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday!

In this edition of the BIS Campus Innovation Weekly, we are delighted to present contributions from Suzanne, our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) teacher, Jay, our primary school teacher, John, our secondary school teacher, and Michele from our Chinese department. So, what exciting stories and innovative initiatives have taken place at BIS recently? Let's dive in and discover the remarkable achievements of our students together!

This Month Reception Class have been extremely busy working on our ‘All About Me’ topic and our ‘I Am Special’ books.

We have been exploring and talking about our feelings and emotions. Learning to identify and moderate our own feelings and consider the feelings of others with the aid of our class colour monsters. 

Each day we can have a range of moods we can come in as an angry red monster and by lunch be a happy yellow monster. So, our monsters are helping us to describe and recognise our emotions and that of our friends.

We are gaining independence by managing our own personal hygiene. Listening to the visiting dentist talk about healthy eating and the importance of toothbrushing. We even brought our toothbrushes in to show her.

We are using new vocabulary throughout the day to articulate our ideas and thoughts about different parts of our body through games, body bingo, anatomy puzzles, observational drawings, hairdressers role play, dance and other activities.

We love talking about members of our immediate family, sharing family photographs and enjoyed creating family trees. At ‘Show and Tell’ we have been bravely standing up in front of the class and naming and describing people in our family that we love.

At phonics time we have been reading our first few phase two individual letters by saying the sounds for each as well as the letter name. Then practicing blending the sounds into words, so that we can begin to read short words made up of these known letter-sounds.

This week to finish off the month, we are preparing decorations for our special Mid-Autumn birthday celebration. We are exploring how and why people in China make yummy mooncakes and beautiful lanterns for the festival. 

We even found a wonderful song about mooncakes that we love so much we sing along to it as we do our daily jobs. We are so looking forward to our party and we want to wish everyone a very happy Mid-Autumn holidays.

Year 3 Embrace AI to Foster Environmental Awareness

In a forward-thinking Year 3 classroom, the students embarked on a unique learning journey centred around global perspectives and the profound role of artificial intelligence in safeguarding our planet. With an increasing emphasis on environmental consciousness, these young minds are absorbing knowledge and actively reflecting on the impact of AI technology on their education and the world at large.

The students are discovering how AI plays a pivotal role in protecting the environment and promoting water-wise habits. They discussed AI-powered systems that monitor water usage, detect leaks, and optimize conservation efforts. These young environmentalists quickly grasped the importance of such technology in ensuring a sustainable future. 

The Year 3 students harnessed AI's power by conversing with AI Chatbots concerning various environmental issues. The students used this AI Chatbot learning tool to research and explore how AI technology aids in water conservation, farming and protecting the planet. They used these Chatbots to research, create informative posters, and present their findings in an AI-created video format. It's an engaging way to cultivate water-wise habits and deepen their understanding of environmental responsibility.

AI's integration into their classroom is seamless. AI Chatbots assisted in answering questions and guiding their understanding. Students excitedly described how AI helps them find valuable information for their projects and posters, which made learning more engaging and efficient. It's not just about consuming information; it's about applying it.

Their enthusiasm was palpable as they presented their eco-conscious posters to the classroom, each student a budding advocate for environmental stewardship. AI's role in their education goes beyond efficiency; it fosters a genuine love for learning and empowers them to be responsible global citizens.

In Year 3, the young learners are not just acquiring knowledge but embracing AI as a partner in their educational journey, learning to think critically, act sustainably, and envision a world where technology and environmental consciousness go hand in hand. These young learners are proof that with the right tools and guidance, the future is indeed in capable hands.

In the videos below, please view the AI-generated videos portraying how Year 3 students use AI in their classroom to learn about environmental issues in the school. AI empower the students in Year 3 to be more creative with their visual illustrations by generating these videos to express increased ecological protection awareness, enhancing classroom learning through engaging technology.

In the photos below, please view some examples of the AI-generated images of the Year 3 students.  The students used topics of animals, oceans, planets, space and environmental issues to generate these creative visual illustrations to express ecological protection awareness by enhancing classroom learning through engaging technology.

The photos below showcase Year 3 impressive awareness posters of AI's potential in environmental preservation, from oceans to farms, enhancing education and fostering sustainability.

Greatly impressed by the flawless presentation the Year 3 students delivered regarding AI's contribution to environmental conservation. Their exceptional communication and presentation skills are linked to using AI video editing technology. As the final product, this video significantly bolstered the ecological awareness campaign.

Greetings to all BIS parents!

Please allow me to share with you what’s been going on in English Literature class so far this term.

Year Seven students have been learning the basic and most essential terminology they will need for studying poetry. To complement this, they have also been learning and reviewing figurative language and imagery. Just this week, as a reward for their hard work, students were introduced to the Japanese traditional style of poetry called Haiku. Students were asked to write their own Haikus and present them to the class.

Year Eight students have been busy learning about and studying many different types of poems. They have already created their own original Acrostic, Concrete, Haiku and Limerick poems. Some of these have been put on display in the classroom. In the coming weeks, students will be introduced to various other types of poetry and again allowed to create their own original poems.

After a review of the basic elements of poetry and poem types in weeks one and two, Year 9 students have been practicing paraphrasing and summarizing. This will eventually allow them to begin reviewing and analyzing several classic poems for deeper meaning. As they grow more confident with these skills they will begin using quotes and verses from poems as evidence to support their viewpoints regarding these poems.

That’s it for now. Have a wonderful Autumn Festival!   

Together in Love, Celebrating Mid-Autumn

The crisp autumn breeze carries the fragrance of osmanthus as the willow branches gracefully hook the full moon on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, signaling the arrival of the annual Mid-Autumn Festival.

To celebrate this Mid-Autumn Festival, our Chinese teacher first introduced the customs and origins of the festival, and the students were immersed in the richness of Chinese culture, actively participating.

Following that, the children in the class enthusiastically began rehearsing their performances. Today, let's take a glimpse into our Chinese classroom!

In the Year 1-2 classrooms, some children were loudly reciting 'Bai Jia Xing,' while others were practicing sign language dance with small hand movements.

In Year 3-4, some children took on the roles of Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit, while others pretended to carry bows and arrows to shoot at the sun.

In Year 5-6, some children used flutes, fans, books, and lanterns as props and skillfully learned modeling steps.

In Year 7-8, some children practiced playing the piano and singing, while others swayed their heads while reciting ancient poems.

In Year 9, some students chanted traditional folk songs and incorporated elements of Chinese opera singing.

In Year 10-11, the classrooms were filled with the melodious tunes of violins.

As the moon becomes full and families reunite, we hope that, through the joint efforts and anticipation of our teachers and students, we can usher in a meaningful and joyful Mid-Autumn Festival.