This week, we were able to have our first birthday party after a few months! We were able to celebrate all our spring month birthdays, as well as our June birthday kids!
This was the first birthday party experience for Jupiter class, so it was fun to see them be a part of the fun together.
This year, our gifts are mug cups, of which the kids design and bake in the oven themselves with Michiyo teacher.
After handing out the presents, we all played games together and had a lot of fun. Due to virus precautions, we didn’t eat snacks or dance together, but we were able to make some new traditions together.
We all hope that everyone felt special at our party 🙂
Mercury lunch leader organizes the lunches while Jupiters and Saturns sign in
We are in the middle of June and everyone has found comfort in our new normal routine. Here are some pictures of what we do to get ready in the mornings, which has thankfully not changed much from its usual pattern.
At the entrance, everyone sprays sanitizer on their hands and stand in the entrance while they take off their shoes. One of our administrators takes everyone’s temperature during this time.
After putting shoes and socks away, they open their backpacks and hang their cups and towels on the rack. Lunch boxes and water bottles get put in their respective boxes. After that, they take out their sticker books and put their backpacks in their cubbies.
Our class teachers have sticker book and sign-in stations set up every morning. At the sticker book station, students take out their daily temperature sheets and contact books and put them in the proper boxes. Teachers help them find today’s date. A sticker of their choice marks the right spot.
Finished sticker books go in the blue basket, names are signed, and then the kids are welcome to grab their hat and shoes and play outside!
Once the weather gets colder we may start having students arrive in their uniforms to change out of, but for now we are spending our days in BOB shirts only.
Of course, Saturn class and Mercury class have known this routine for years, but these days Jupiters have also gotten used to it quickly!
It feels good to have a part of our daily schedule stay the same. We’re excited for more days ahead of us!
We are almost done with our first week back with all our students. Our morning greetings are with Saturn and Jupiter classes downstairs, while Mercury class does their upstairs. Each child sits on taped marks on the floor that is far away from their friends.
English class has been divided in half for each grade level. While one class is with the English teacher, the other half has free time with another teacher.
During lunch every day, our kids sit down facing the same way. When they are finished, they each have one picture book to look at to prevent too much interacting with the kids next to them.
After all students have returned home, our teachers all clean together for half an hour every day. Here is a detailed description of our daily routine in video form:
We are so happy to have all our kids back at school, but understand how stressful it is for each child’s family. It is our responsibility to keep our space clean and we are it very seriously.
Thank you for your continued support as we step into our new normal together.
International Language House Kindergarten blog 