ST. MARK'S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL eNewsletter

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN HSK 2024

We are incredibly proud to announce our students' exceptional performance in the HSK 2024 exam! This year, our students have set a new benchmark of excellence, with five achieving a perfect score of 100% in both the Level 1 and 2 exams. These outstanding results reflect their dedication and ability to master the Mandarin language with precision and confidence.

Beyond the perfect scores, many students across different grades performed admirably, with scores reaching 80% and higher. Their commitment to learning Mandarin, along with the support from their teachers, has been evident in the consistent improvements they’ve shown throughout the year. The HSK exam is a globally recognized measure of Mandarin proficiency, and excelling in it demonstrates not just linguistic ability but a deep understanding of Chinese culture and communication.

We congratulate each and every student who participated, as well as their teachers for their unwavering support and guidance. These achievements are a testament to the hard work and passion that drive our students to succeed. We look forward to even more success in the future as they continue to grow in their Mandarin studies. Well done to all!

KINDER MANDARIN: COLOR RED

Our kindergarten students had an exciting time in their Mandarin class as they learned all about the color red. The lesson began with them practicing how to say "red" in Mandarin, focusing on pronunciation. They then eagerly participated in an activity where they identified the color red on the board, reinforcing their new vocabulary. To wrap up the fun lesson, each student received red stickers to place on their papers, creating a vibrant and interactive learning experience that helped them connect with the language in a playful way!

PRE-PREP ART CLASS: APPLE

Our pre-prep students took part in an exciting apple-themed art project this week! They practiced their cutting skills with red paper in hand, carefully shaping pieces to fit onto their apple printouts. The students then applied their pasting skills, creating colorful apple collages. This enjoyable activity helped reinforce their cutting and pasting techniques while encouraging artistic expression in a fun, hands-on environment.

YEAR 1 ENGLISH: ANIMAL FEET

In their latest English class, our Year 1 students engaged in an exciting lesson centered around the book "The Animal Feet." The teacher introduced them to the fascinating world of animals and their unique feet, sparking the students' curiosity as they learned how different animals use their feet in special ways. As part of the lesson, students practiced their reading skills by reading passages from the book, helping to improve their fluency and confidence.

The teacher introduced an activity where sentences were written on the board with missing words to reinforce their understanding of sentence structure. The students were tasked with filling in the blanks with the correct words to complete each sentence, making sure it was both appropriate and grammatically correct. This interactive exercise allowed the students to focus on comprehension and sharpen their understanding of how words fit together to form meaningful sentences. It was a fun and educational way for the Year 1 students to improve both their reading and writing skills!

YEAR 2 MANDARIN: GIVE COLOR

In Year 2 Mandarin class, students reviewed Lesson 4, "Give Color." The lesson centers around a girl drawing and coloring pictures, allowing students to learn various nature-related words like sun, sky, cloud, and road. They also practiced different color names, including red, blue, yellow, white, and black. As part of the activity, students read the lesson aloud and practiced speaking, reading, and writing these new words in Mandarin Chinese. By the end of the lesson, they were expected to master the pronunciation and writing of both nature terms and color names.

YEAR 4 SCIENCE: EVAPORATION AND CONDENSATION

In their recent Science class, our Year 4 students explored the effects of heat on water through a hands-on experiment. The lesson began with a detailed explanation of what happens when water loses heat, preparing students for the next phase of the activity. With this understanding in place, they moved on to observe the process of water gaining heat.

Students measured the initial temperature of the water in a tube, carefully recording the readings as the water gradually heated up. They watched in anticipation as the water reached its boiling point, identifying the exact temperature at which it started to boil. To deepen their understanding of this process, they observed the tube closely when it was covered, noting the formation of water droplets as a result of condensation.

This practical experiment provided the students with a clear, visual demonstration of the water cycle’s phases and how heat affects matter.

YEAR 8 CHEMISTRY: ACID AND METAL REACTIONS

In their latest chemistry experiment, our Year 8 students explored the reaction between acids and metals. The class added magnesium metal to hydrochloric acid, producing hydrogen gas as a result. To confirm the presence of hydrogen, they performed a pop test: when a lighted splint was exposed to the gas, it emitted a distinct pop sound, signaling the success of their experiment.

This hands-on activity allowed students to connect their theoretical knowledge with a real-world application. Not only did they deepen their understanding of chemical reactions, but they also honed their practical lab skills, reinforcing what they’ve learned interactively!