Learning About Sundials
“Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?” – Benjamin Franklin
The year 2 students thoroughly enjoyed learning about sundials and the purpose of them last week.
The teachers find it important that students know the reason behind sundials as they are the oldest known instrument for telling the time. The sundial also allows for us to track the position of the sun with accuracy..
In our Science lesson, students were able to make their own sundials out of paper plates and straws. After decorating their sundials, the students went outside and set their beautiful paper sundials on the ground and tried to tell the time accurately (11:30). The students were very intrigued by the lesson and engaged in the activity with such eagerness to learn.
“Be as true to each other as this dial is to the Sun” – Unknown
Erin Hierse
Year 2 Teacher
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From The German Classroom
“What’s red and black and brings good luck?”
If you ask anyone in Germany the above question the answer would be, the Marienkäfer! This is directly translated as the ‘Marie bugs’, also called Ladybug, Lady beetle or Ladybird as we know it. In many cultures they bring good luck and in Germany they are a popular good luck charm also called a Glückskäfer the ‘lucky bugs’. The true Marienkäfer is red and has seven spots. Red symbolizes love, while seven is a lucky number for some.
This is all attributed to the fact that they were traditionally seen as a gift to farmers because one Marienkäfer can eat up to 5,000 aphids and other common garden pests, in a year. A legend has it that the farmers in Europe prayed to Mother Mary when pests were destroying their crops. At this time of crisis, ladybirds came as their rescue, destroying the pests. Since then, the farmers named them “the beetle of our lady” and love them because they eat aphids and other plant-eating pests and save their crops every year.
The German people not only see the Marienkäfer as good luck, but also as a sign from nature that the summer has at last arrived in Germany usually after a very long winter. During summer, when they are most active, these incredible insects can be seen fluttering around or walking on the leaves of plants to the delight of the young and old. A group of Marienkäfer is called a loveliness, which so aptly describes them.
But as soon as it turns cold and autumn arrives in Germany, the Marienkäfer looks for a warm, secluded place to hibernate, such as in barks of trees, in logs, under rocks or even inside houses, usually with other ladybirds in groups of up to 1000. They then only come out the next summer.
The German classroom received a special visitor from Germany this term, all the way from the Berlin Zoo arriving in the animal transport suitcase that travels between Berlin and our classroom at Blouberg International. The students in Year 1 and 2 were especially intrigued at what had arrived and were very excited to meet Marie the Marienkäfer. The animals from the Berlin Zoo also sent us a few packets of Haribo, the special German gummy bears, but we were surprised when we found all the packets empty and really wondered who had eaten them on the way from Berlin.
We also discussed the lifecycle of the Marienkäfer and we were fascinated by this little creature. Some students were also inspired to draw pictures of them and we included Marie in our greetings and songs at the beginning of the German lesson.
In Germany, the summer has come to an end and sadly the Marienkäfer are going into hibernation, but they will be back and are eagerly awaited next summer.
A student asked me this week if Marie the Marienkäfer will be returning to Germany and I was happy to let them know that she will be staying in South Africa to enjoy the coming summer months with us in our German classroom.
Have a good spring break.
Frau Kerstin Pani
Primary School German Teacher
Here are some links with more interesting information on the Marienkäfer:
https://www.dw.com/en/gl%C3%BCcksk%C3%A4fer/a-16555043
https://www.animalspot.net/ladybugs
https://www.natgeokids.com/za/discover/animals/insects/ladybird-facts/
Robots And Our Futures
This term, the Year 5’s have been interestingly looking at the impact of modern technology on our world. We have specifically looked at Robots taking over our jobs. The students were asked to work in groups of 4 or 5 and put together a news broadcast, where they interview a factory owner who has decided to replace his factory workers with Robots.
Here is an example of a News Broadcast written by Nuraan Price (Year 5 Student)
News Reporter: Good morning all and thank you for joining our live broadcast! We have an interesting crisis for you this morning between a factory owner and his workers. Apparently he wants to replace them with robots! I am here today with all the people involved including Dave; the owner of the factory, one of his workers, the son of this worker and last but not least, the robot designer herself! Let’s start off with you Dave. How’s it going?
Factory Owner: Morning y’all, my name is Dave, and I’m the owner of Sweets & Treats, the Candy Factory.
News Reporter: So tell us Dave, what is the future you see for Sweets & Treats?
Factory Owner: Well, I’m a little ashamed to say, but Sweet & Treats hasn’t been doing so well this last year. And I know our employees are quite tired and a little stressed out trying to get orders and money in, so yeah, we’re struggling. Unfortunately, the factory might have to close down soon if this keeps up. So to anyone listening, go and order or buy some of Sweets & Treats’ delicious candy today! It’s available at any shop near you!
News Reporter: That must be hard, so what’s the deal with the robots?
Factory Owner: I think what’s best for the factory is for robots to do the work. That way all the candy can be made more cheaply and they can work faster for long periods and without making any mistakes. I am very aware this means that many people at my factory will lose their jobs, so when we make enough money from the robots I will give those who need it $1000 just to get them on their feet and help everyone out a little bit. The robots will probably be here and ready by January.
News Reporter: Thank you so much for sharing your opinion with us Dave! And you’re right, this must have a big impact on your workers, in fact we have one right here with us today! Would you mind telling us your name?
Factory Worker: Hello! Thank you for having me, my name is Tom, and I currently work at Sweets & Treats!
News Reporter: How has Dave’s new decision affected you and your life?
Factory Worker: Well I’ve worked at the factory for 7 years now and I’m one of Dave’s best workers and honestly I find it a little offensive that Dave would just throw us under the bus like that haha, but I know that he is just doing what’s best for the company and I respect that. I am however a little worried that I won’t be able to support my family anymore and trying to find a new job will be extremely hard for me especially during these times. Of course Dave’s $1000 will help a lot and I really appreciate it but I’m afraid that it won’t be enough until I find a job.
News Reporter: Wow, I hope it goes well for you and thank you for sharing with us. We also have your son here today to hear his say in the matter. Hi, would you mind introducing yourself?
Factory Worker’s Son: Hello there, my name is Alex and I’m 12 years old.
News Reporter: How are you today?
Alex: I’m good and you?
News Reporter: I’m very well thank you. How do you feel about the situation your dad is in right now?
Alex: Um, well I’m a little scared that my dad won’t be able to provide for me and my mom, but I think that it’s really nice of Dave to give us $1000. Another thing I’m worried about is my future. I’ve been studying and working as hard as I can in school and I’ve been getting A’s but I don’t know what job I’ll be able to get when I’m older since robots are taking over so many jobs. My mom says I can try to become a robot designer or programmer since robots can’t take over that job and I think that’s a great idea and it would be really cool to do, but I’m afraid that I’m not smart enough or it will be too difficult.
News Reporter: Don’t be silly Alex! Of course you’re smart enough! You can be anything you want to be. And if you do decide to study it, it will get easier over time. And I hope you enjoy it! Thank you to you and your father for sharing your sides of the story with us and I wish you the best of luck! I have one more person here with me, and that is the Robot Designer herself!
Robot Designer: Hi everyone, my name is Wendy Hensler. I’m 27 years old and I work for the tech company, AI. Inc.
News Reporter: So how has Dave’s decision helped your company?
Robot Designer: Sweets & Treats is the third company to call us and ask for this, we’ve been very busy and it’s pretty exciting to be able to design and make more robots than ever. I studied hard to become a robot designer, I love my job and I’m so happy to be able to work for one of the best tech companies in the country. Many manufacturers are moving to automation, to compete with overseas companies that are making the same product for much cheaper. I feel that without Robots, many companies will have to close down, but of course humans are just as powerful too.
News Reporter: Well there you have it folks, one robot and so many lives affected, is this the future? Good or Bad? I guess only time will tell. Well thank you to everyone for joining me today and thank you for sticking around, and I’ll see you next time folks, Good morning!
*End of interview*
We can never predict what will happen in the future, but we can rest easy knowing that we are preparing our students to ask the right questions and shape the world they want to live in.
Nadia Mahomed
Year 5 Teacher
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From The Spanish Classroom
Some language teachers will say that one of the most important aspects of teaching, especially when the language is not spoken at home or outside of the classroom, is pronunciation. Many times, this can be difficult to apply in the class, because in the process of achieving our final goal of getting our students communicating in Spanish, we don’t want to discourage them. Sometimes we overlook pronunciation errors for the greater good of creating a positive learning environment and giving them the necessary confidence to start speaking the foreign language.
In my opinion, pronunciation can be something to improve on in the later stages of learning a second language or at least not be the focus in their first years. I am more prone to the idea of improving pronunciation in a more natural way, giving them some tips during class when they are learning new vocabulary, rather than during their oral presentations.
At Blouberg International, one my favourite ways of teaching the correct pronunciation is through songs, stories, and role plays.
Songs are the perfect resource for teaching pronunciation, especially when they have great rhythm, related and comprehensible vocabulary, and have repetitive and memorable lyrics.
Cesar, the creator of Rockalingua, explains it this way: “Focuses on creating songs that combine useful vocabulary with functional language structures, rhythm, and ample opportunities to repeat the words heard, using the pronunciation presented in the song.” I completely agree with him. Songs are a great way to practice meaningful listening while you work on pronunciation, but stories are as well.
By listening, reading, and creating stories – especially for the Year 5 and 6 students – that they can replicate using their own vocabulary during the role-play lessons, the students absorb more vocabulary in a more relaxed, practical and fun environment.
It is very important to listen to the stories more than once:
- The first time you can focus in identifying vocabulary and expressions that you have learned during the class.
- The second time focus on the content, try to understand the whole story.
- The third time you can focus on the pronunciation.
A good example of this is the Term 3 Year 5 project about the restaurant. This can apply to any topic that you wish your students to learn…
– Students learn the vocabulary and expressions related with the food. They also make use of book practice and Rockalingua.
– They create a menu with the food related vocabulary for their role-play.
– Add some relevant grammar to the mixture. “I would like; I prefer; I want or need”.
– Create a story using those expressions and vocabulary for the students to listen and practice during the class with some questions at the end.
– They need to decide the name of the Restaurant and the menu.
– Ask them to create a similar story and present it to the class.
I look forward to seeing my students develop even better pronunciation as the year progresses.
Javier Vidal
Spanish Teacher
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Saving Our Planet
In Year 1 we have been learning about, ‘Saving our Planet’ in Global Perspectives.
We also went on a litter walk around the school. My class showed such passion and commitment to cleaning up the litter in and around the school, I am so proud of them all.
I have even had reports from parents informing me that their child picks up litter when they are out walking at the beach.
They have been working very hard and even created their own display for our classroom’s ‘Art and Design’ board, to raise awareness about litter.
Well done Year 1!
Charlotte Cronje
Year 1 Teacher
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Picasso, Pianos and Portraits!
The Year 4’s have been focusing on an interesting technique in Art and Design for the past few weeks, namely Cubism.
A few facts about Cubism:
- Cubism is a style of Art invented in 1907.
- It was a very different way of painting to anything that had been done before.
- In Cubism, an artist tried to show different views of the same object or person all together in one painting. When you look at a Cubist painting, you might see the front, side and back of the same object.
- Cubist artists tried to break an object or person up into different parts. This often made the painting look like it was made up of geometric shapes like cubes.
Pablo Picasso was one of the first artists to explore Cubism. He wanted to paint things that he felt, remembered and saw all in one painting. Some of his most famous creations are the guitar sculptures made of cardboard and sheet metal, and the painting The Weeping Woman. We used these two art works as inspiration to create our masterpieces.
Have a look at our beautiful paintings of Picasso’s guitar and portraits using pastels and the Cubism technique.
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” – Pablo Picasso
Ria du Plessis
Year 4 Coordinator
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Greeting Cards!
Unfortunately, with the arrival of Social Media, the exchange of actual greeting cards seems to have dwindled. It’s far easier to type a message using Facebook or Instagram, than hand selecting, or even making the traditional greeting card the older generation remember so fondly!
The making of greeting cards can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians and through the middle ages. The invention of the postage stamp in 1840 revolutionised the distribution of these cards, and in 1930, the company Hallmark was established with their sole purpose to create and print greeting cards for many different occasions.
Luckily, children really enjoy making cards. It allows them to explore their creativity. What teacher, parent or friend isn’t delighted to receive a handmade card from a child? Just give them cardboard, colouring crayons, scissors and glue and the results are a work of love.
Kim Coetzer
Year 2 Teacher
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Year 3 Chess Champion
“Every Chess Master was once a Beginner” – Irving Chernev
This is not a game of Chaturanga or a Queen’s Gambit, but it is certainly a move in the right direction for Sinddhizhai Divakaran in Year 3.
Sinddhizhai finished first in the Western Province Open Chess Championship and came second in the Under 8 Girls closed championship. Sinddhizhai matched the total points with the player who ranked first, but because of a tie breaker system, she ended up in second position.
Last week, Sinddhizhai took part in an International World Youth Under 10 Rapid online chess tournament, stage 1. Top players from 54 different countries participated in the tournament. Sinddhizhai managed 4 wins and drew 1 game, and also achieved an overall position of 97th out of 154 players.
Sinddhizhai got the chance to play with players from Slovenia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Malta, Belgium, Panama, Vietnam, Albania and South Africa. She also managed to directly win against the South African player, who previously won the under 8 National Championship in tie breaker.
An important highlight in this whole story is, that there is no separate section in the international arena for Under 8 girls, where Sinddhi actually belongs. She competed with a more senior group of under 10 players.
As Irving Chernev said, this is only the beginning for Sinddhizhai Divakaran.
We are super proud of you!
Wendy Menton
Year 3 Teacher
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Science – An Animal Nursery
This term, the year 1 students have enjoyed the Science theme, Being Alive. The students have learnt how to identify if something is alive or not. It is alive if it grows, breathes, eats and reproduces.
This week we learnt about baby animals and how to care for them. The students had to choose a baby animal and decide what it would need to grow to adulthood. They then worked in pairs and built the nursery using lots of creativity in their designs.
Well done Year 1!
Ann Cordner
Year 1 teacher
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Hooked on Books – Year 2 Reading Fun!
“Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” – Plato
While reading is obviously important in order for us to understand the words on the page, it is also the foundation of one’s ability to learn, and ultimately our ability to function accordingly in an ever changing society. As children learn they no longer have to rely on their parents to read things to them – one of the most natural ways of building independence and self-confidence. As they read they begin to understand the world around them.
This week, our Year 2’s were lucky enough to experience the fun of Hooked on Books; is a touring Educational Theatre Company that has been igniting a love of reading in children across our country for the past 25 years. The Hooked on Books team dramatise book-trailers from contemporary children’s books, which change on an annual basis. The book-trailers provide a visual, dramatic preview of the book similar to that of a movie trailer. By leaving the story at a nail-biting cliff-hanger they entice the students to make a beeline for the library to find out how the story ends. Their secret is keeping the show simple and fun, encouraging students to use their imaginations to create make-believe worlds with colourful characters.
We had so much fun!
Siobhan Hendry
Year 2 Teacher
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