STMARKS NEWSLETTER 23 (01 MARCH 2024)
THAI MODEL UNITED NATIONS
For the second year in a row, St Mark's will be taking part in the Thai Model United Nations (THAIMUN) conference at Brighton College. Five hundred students from Southeast Asia as well as further abroad will come together for the 3-day conference in March. St Mark's will be represented by Xyren (10), Cleojai (10), JJ (8), Kvin (8), and Monpachara (8). For JJ and Kvin this will be their first conference and although they will be nervous it will be a worthwhile experience.
The students have been preparing with Ms Liz on Tuesdays during the ECA. They are preparing opening speeches and learning about the countries they will be representing. This experience will be enriching for them not only academically, but also in building lasting friendships with motivated students from other schools. We wish the team the best of luck and hope for some great results.
PREP THAI: VOWEL "เ -ื อ"
Our Prep students have been learning Thai vowels this week, focusing on เ -ื อ. We feel fortunate to let our students learn languages from a young age.
They read aloud a short story that featured many เ -ื อ vowels in class. Students took on the challenge of answering questions about the story after the short reading session. One by one, they eagerly approached the board with enthusiasm and determination to showcase their understanding of the story. Learning Thai together makes it more enjoyable.
They also practiced writing the เ -ื อ vowel. With pencils in hand, they carefully traced the curves and lines, getting better with each try. We look forward to their increased aptitude in Thai in the months to come.
YEAR 1 MANDARIN: THE DOG AND HIS MEAT
In our Year 1 Mandarin class, our students have been diving into the classic tale of "The Dog and His Meat" with enthusiasm and curiosity. This story has been a wonderful avenue for not only learning Mandarin but also for delving into important language concepts.
Throughout their class, students have been actively collecting opposite words, which has been a fun and engaging way to expand their vocabulary.
They were also introduced to a new character, '远' (yuǎn), meaning 'far,' which originates from the story itself.
Through group work, Year 1 students worked together and they were able to piece together the narrative and gain a deeper understanding of the storyline. They retold the story on their own with newfound vocabulary and language skills, and they've been able to bring the characters and plot to life.
YEAR 3 SCIENCE: PLANT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS
The Year 3 students studied plant transport systems and how each part works together to keep the plant alive. They also learned about photosynthesis, the process by which plants make their own food. They were able to connect the importance of plant transport systems, also known as food and water transport (xylem, phloem), to plant food production. Water cannot be delivered to the leaves without the water-carrying tubes, while food produced by plants is transported by the food-carrying tube. Finally, every part of the plant serves a certain purpose in order to keep it alive.
They conducted a basic science experiment to investigate how water gets transported or delivered to the leaves, which is one of the main components used by plants to produce food. They soaked celery in a red food coloring solution for a day before cutting a cross-section and lateral section to study how the water-carrying tubes (xylem) look. The students were happy to learn about the plants around us.
YEAR 5 P.E.: BASKETBALL
Year 5 students have been doing well in their Physical Education class. For this week's lesson, they've been learning how to play basketball. They've been practicing dribbling and shooting with their P.E. teacher.
Dribbling is an important skill in basketball, and our students have been working hard to learn it. They've been doing drills and exercises to help them control the ball while they move around the court.
Besides dribbling, our Year 5 students have also been learning how to shoot the ball into the hoop. They've been practicing layups and jump shots to improve their shooting skills.
In addition to learning basketball skills, our P.E. class teaches students about teamwork, being fair, and playing nicely. They learn how to work together, talk to each other, and respect each other while playing sports.
YEAR 7 SCIENCE: CHEMICAL REACTION
Our Year 7 students recently had a blast in their Science class. They tried out some engaging experiments that showed how different substances behave when mixed together.
Firstly, they conducted the flame test, which can be used to identify metal ions in compounds. Different metal ions emit different colors when burned. It's one of the simplest methods for identifying the presence of metal ions in a compound.
The students also experimented with adding carbonate to acid, observing the release of carbon dioxide gas. Afterward, they examined the burning of magnesium metal, which produces a bright white flame. It was rewarding to see the students acquire knowledge about how we can identify different metal ions.