EARLY YEARS (EYP)
In the Early Years Program of Tesla Education, students can choose one of five activities/clubs to participate in the CCA (Co-Curricular Activities) including STEAM, Life skills, Ballet, Sports, and Organ. Studying according to their interests with friends of different ages allows them to learn and support each other.
In the past few weeks, with the project “Myself and others”, students have been learning about body parts, senses, emotions, and how to care for and protect body parts. To learn more about how to take care of and protect their teeth, they visited and had hands-on experience at a Dental Clinic.
PRIMARY YEARS (PYP)
Ms Vo Thi Ngoc Linh
KG Homeroom Teacher
KG students had an exciting learning experience with letter recognition activities with the combination of discovering foods that help the body develop healthily. This learning activity helps students remember letters deeply, use body parts to simulate the letters, and show the spirit of learning together. It’s great when they know how to help each other complete learning tasks and freely express their emotions.
Ms Dang Thien Ngoc Truc
Grade 1 Homeroom Teacher
The first six weeks of school went by so quickly with so much joy and a little surprise for the 1st graders as they entered the new learning environment. The children learned new vocabulary and comprehension about family and shared remarkable things about their family members with their friends. Even more interesting, they studied and shared in both English and Vietnamese. Great learning activities such as reading books in the library, drawing tree diagrams, role-playing to handle situations in family life, etc., brought a lot of laughter and new knowledge to grade 1 students. The learning pathway ahead is long and exciting. Wishing you all a successful academic year and acquire valuable lessons for yourself.
Ms Vy Thi Kieu Oanh
Grade 2 Homeroom Teacher
With the first unit of Who we are, grade 2 students explored and learned about words used to describe appearance. They will begin to study Vietnamese Writing with tasks such as writing short sentences and putting sentences into a paragraph. And in this task, they will work together to find words for appearance and make sentences to describe someone’s appearance. Through this activity, they will understand that everyone has a different beauty and appearance, no one is the same, and from there, they should have the right attitude. When students know how to write and introduce someone’s appearance, they can practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Let’s see how grade 2 students discuss and complete this task together.
Ms Nguyen Hoang An Khanh
EAL Teacher
Grade 1 students started to learn about personal pronouns (subject: he, she, it, they) to introduce their family. They were divided into four groups and observed a few simple picture examples of using those pronouns. Then, students discussed, analyzed, and supported each other to find out how to use pronouns correctly to complete the assigned task. Most groups have found the rule and applied it to finish their work. After completing their tasks, they shared their understanding of how to use the above pronouns in their arguments and language (the teacher will give feedback and revise as necessary).
They have practiced teamwork skills (sharing, coordinating closely, and supporting each other) and thinking skills (analyzing to find out the rules of using pronouns).
Ms Sheryl Ferrer Cruz
ATL (Approaches to Learning) Teacher
Under the theme “Who we are”, students were encouraged to make balanced choices in their daily routine by taking care of their eating habits, and personal hygiene and by being physically active. They were motivated to eat healthy food, wash their hands before and after meals, and exercise daily. Through stories, discussions, and audio-visual aid the learners inquired and reflected on the consequences of good and bad choices. They developed self-management skills while reflecting on the balanced choices in their daily routine.
Grade 1
In this Unit “Who we are” the students learned about their families and family members. They came to know that each member of the family has a responsibility. They learned the values of sharing, caring, and respecting their elders. They developed positive interpersonal relationships and collaboration by helping their parents by doing their work and being independent at home. In addition, we have learned how to keep our bodies healthy and fit and the students were encouraged to take care of their hygiene to be healthy.
Grade 2
Students learned by asking questions and finding out more about themselves, their families, friends, and the community. Students enthusiastically and actively participated in class discussions and shared with the class insightful thoughts about their role in the family and community. The show and tell activity that shares about their personal and family history, and culture have shown that they have gained a greater understanding of the unit lesson.
Ms Nguyen Thi Thanh Sang
Grade 3 Homeroom Teacher
In this Unit “Who we are” Grade 3 students will learn about the organ systems in the body, focusing on in-depth analysis of the Digestive System, Circulatory System, and Nervous System. Students will also learn about habits and activities that will have both good and bad effects on the body, thereby making the right choices to have a healthy body. At the same time, through reading passages to practice Vietnamese reading and writing skills, students will also connect and understand how external factors and circumstances affect our emotions and lives.
Ms Huynh Thi Kim Ngoc
Grade 4 Homeroom Teacher
The 4th graders started the new school year with the transdisciplinary theme “Who we are” with the central idea “Healthy lifestyle defines and shapes who we are”. Grade 4 students used the KWL (What I Know – What I Wonder – What I Learned) chart to ask questions to guide their research. Research is a skill emphasized in this unit. Reading materials, identifying keywords, and synthesizing information in different forms are activities that children do regularly to develop this skill. In addition to studying documents, students also interviewed, conducted surveys, and discussed with the medical staff to gradually conclude a healthy lifestyle.
Tesla Education focuses on providing students with diverse learning experiences. Students learn inside and outside the classroom, in the library, and on the farm. In each learning environment, they acquire knowledge and develop the IB attributes such as caring, open-mindedness, and risk-taking.
Ms Doan Thi Huynh Hanh
Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher
We settled into the new 2022 – 2023 school year. The mission of the IB programme is to build a thoughtful and respectful learning environment, and students are empowered to take control of their learning process. The first month of the school year begins with the theme “Who are we”, students learn lessons about the physical and psychological changes of puberty, gender equality between boys and girls, and building relationships of mutual respect through role-playing activities and practice understanding the content of the reading passages using Cornel and Sketchnote techniques. In addition, to make Math more interesting, students remade math formulas into rhymes and performed them together to make the math class more lively.
The theme “Who are we” will end with a field trip with students from Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for the Blind. The children planned their trip to experience and set up community service activities to align with the lesson’s ideas. Furthermore, they participated in the meaningful Mid-Autumn Festival event with exciting activities such as a lantern decoration contest, tray display (second prize), quiz game, etc.
Finally, to prepare for the PYP exhibition at the end of the school year, the students had an experiential learning trip as archaeologists to have orientation in terms of content and organization. The 5th graders have had a fun and exciting month of learning at Tesla School.
Mr Alexander Gordillo
EAL Teacher
Dear members of the Tesla School Community,
Hello, I am Mr. Alex. I am the newest EAL teacher at Tesla School and am delighted to join this community. I have been living in Vietnam for 6 years; teaching EAL, English Literature, Business English, and test preparation. I also like to teach students how to dance and sing. I originally came to Vietnam on a Fulbright Fellowship with the U.S. State Department and fell in love with the dynamic vibrancy and kindness of the people I met across Vietnam. I lived in Vinh Long province during my first year here, where I taught English for International Business at Mekong Univerity and also practiced the martial art Vovinam.
Since then, I have been teaching in schools in HCMC. In my free time, I like to do photography, do Yoga and drink coconut water on the beach. My hope for our learning school is to continue to work together toward building a caring community of international education. We have different challenges ahead, but we may view these challenges as opportunities. I look forward to meeting each parent and hope you will feel free to contact me anytime. You may reach me at alexander.gordillo@tesla.edu.vn.
EAL PYP Update
Our year begins with an emphasis on the benefits of reading including progress using RazPlus reading software. Grade 4 students have been learning about healthy lifestyles, especially in the food we eat. As part of their final project, students will present their research on making healthy choices.
Grade 5 students also completed a placement test and we will track their progress carefully in reading comprehension, measured as a Lexile Level. Beyond reading, Grade 5 has been busy learning about physical and emotional changes due to puberty and the unit’s Summative Assessment will include a presentation to students in our school as well as students at Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for the Blind.
Please note: In each class, the student with the highest score will receive a very special prize!
Mr Brandon Williams
ATL (Approaches to Learning) Teacher
As we settle into the new school year, the students have been developing a variety of skills required to work through the inquiry process. Working collaboratively as well as independently, the students are making great progress, this has been made possible with the help of creative teaching ideas (thank you Ms. Ngoc) and supplemented by some fantastic resources (specifically from Tesla’s LRC). During a co-teaching lesson, the grade 4 class was set up with a variety of stations for the students to move through, stations included independent learning, preparations for presentations, a focused EAL session, and reading (and comprehension) around the concepts of Cause and Effect.
Ms Le Minh Anh
Science Teacher
Grade 4 students can identify what foods to eat more of and explain that nutrients in food help us grow and stay healthy. We have wonderful learning periods and students apply their knowledge of healthy foods and food groups to create a healthy meal.
Students learn that an organ is a body part that does a special job. Students did experiments to understand the organs of the digestive system and they can explain how it works. Students conducted to take the pulse rate and recognize that exercise makes your pulse rate increase.
“Who we are” is the first PYP theme, we chose the central idea understanding ourselves and others helps us build healthy relationships. Students investigate how the five senses – seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching provide information. We did many experiments in science classes to understand the importance of senses and how to protect healthy senses.
Students described the changes that people’s bodies go through during puberty and how we can look after our changing bodies. They learned about the different types of hormones that your body releases during puberty and discussed changes my body will go through to know what to expect.
Mr Do Trung Hoc
ICT Teacher
KG: KG practices mouse skills by dragging the mouse.
Grade 3: Grade 3 gets a close-up view of each vital organ via AR-Augmented Reality.
Grade 4: Grade 4 creates a menu for a healthy day.
Grade 5: Grade 5 designs 3D emotion models and interacts with them by MR-Mixed Reality.
After School Activities
Mr Do Su
PE Teacher
At Tesla, students can participate in many sports activities such as swimming, basketball, football, and badminton in PE lessons… helping them practice a wide variety of sports and develop many qualities of movement, relaxation, entertainment, etc. In addition, they are equipped with survival skills and swimming techniques through swimming lessons at school.
In addition, PE also connects with other subjects in the transdisciplinary theme of the PYP program. Grades 4 and 5 students made the connection with science, or ICT that allows them to understand nutrition, reasonable sleep time, measure height, and weight to calculate body’s BMI, from which to choose appropriate exercises in PE lesson to practice, help them self-manage to stay healthy and develop a balanced physique.
Ms. Nguyen Thai Hoang Phi
Learning Support Teacher
I support all students in Tesla academically. Besides, I am also a co-teacher in EAL class for 3rd Graders. We teach students all English skills to help them understand the other subjects. So, students will be instructed how to use correct structures, grow their reading comprehension, improve writing skills and learn to give a presentation in front of others. Students also are more and more confident in their language.
MIDDLE YEARS (MYP)
Ms Angela Baker
MYP Coordinator
and I & S Teacher MYP
The Grade 6 students have been very busy in the first seven weeks of school. On top of adjusting to their new schedule, they are also learning the importance of organization, time management, and individual responsibility. These skills are essential in life and necessary for success in the MYP and DP programs. The MYP team is working hard to instill these vital skills in all our students, focusing on building a learning community that includes parents, students, teachers, and administrators. We have dedicated ourselves to providing a rigorous learning environment that requires all students to actively participate while demonstrating high levels of motivation and a commitment to the program. Leadership, accountability, and service also play an essential role in the MYP.
On Thursdays, the students are beginning to understand what it means to be a leader and role model at Tesla. By being a change champion, we are looking at how we can create some positive change to benefit the Tesla community. I hope you enjoy reading about the MYP program in this issue of Tesla Talk.
Mr Alexander Gordillo
EAL Teacher
EAL MYP Update
We have spent time getting to know each other and what values are most important to us, especially as students and members of an educational community. I have challenged students to define what makes an ideal school and what are the key traits of a Learner’s Attitude. We are equipped with reading and writing tools that will help us measure their strengths and weaknesses to then target specific skills. Students were presented with the Basics of an Oral Presentation to practice public speaking skills. For the unit’s final project, students will create “My Learner’s Profile” which describes themselves as students as well as “My Ideal School”.
Mr Do Trung Hoc
MYP Design & IT Teacher
Applying the best of the MOET program and the MYP framework, in Unit 01, Design Year 01, students created lanterns on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival. At the same time, students have access to the basic knowledge of the Design Circle, which will follow them throughout this school year.
To prepare for Unit 2: “Design objects to symbolize the Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife”, Grade 6 had a field trip to VivoCity. They learned about: QR Codes and Endangered Animals, Intro to Archaeology.
Ms Nguyen Thi Quynh Dien
MYP Art Teacher
G6 students have worked on the final products related to the MYP Global Concept of Identity and Relationships. The students created their own unique pieces of art to reflect their characteristics and cultures through the composition using the seven elements of Art and design principles. They were happy to express their feelings and identities through their art pieces.
Ms Le Minh Anh
MYP Science and STEAM Teacher
Grade 6 students have finished unit 1 – Communicating with Science. They created group presentations to dedicate that being a scientist means gathering evidence about similarities and differences in nature to understand how things are related. They wrote research questions for the investigation, hypothesis (prediction), and experiment aim in the form of an MYP scientific inquiry question.
Ms Pham Ngoc Hai Dang
Music Teacher
Applying the MOET program and the IB framework, in this UNIT 1 – FOUNDATIONS OF MUSIC, Grade 6 will study how to play guitar in simple steps. Playing guitar is another way to study music theory, music history better following practising. Students will understand how to play basic chords and simple songs, demonstrate communication and presentation skills through a summative assessment that includes a performance and research task. Learning how to play guitar allows students to communicate through music and makes students to be more patient. Besides, it helps student have more choice to enjoy music when playing a kind of instrument what is very popular around the world.
Mr Nguyen Kieu Quoc Bao
PE Teacher
Dear Parents, my name is Nguyen Kieu Quoc Bao, the new PE teacher at Tesla. With a passion for sports and following the path of education, I wish to give students good health, help them to realize the values of sports, and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, be comfortable and relaxed to have more energy in different classes at school.
In the lower grades, students are currently learning soccer with skills such as dribbling, passing, kicking, throwing, catching the ball, etc., and some exercises on coordination in movement and balance.
In the upper grades, they practice quick reflexes, speed, dexterity, strength, and coordination in football and badminton.
Ms Thach Thi Le Thu
Teacher Librarian
A short talk where I hope to share with you some ideas about how you can support your child with their reading.
One of the best gifts that you can give your child is the ability to read.
A child who can read confidently will not only gain a lifetime of enjoyment from books but most importantly will possess the skills needed to access the world around them.
Although your child will be taught in school don’t underestimate how important your role is in helping them develop a positive approach to reading. Creating the right atmosphere and environment can help your child on the way.
TOP TIP 1: PROVIDE READING MATERIAL
– Try to ensure there’s a wide range of reading material in your home. Tesla Learning Resource Center (LRC) has a variety of board books, Early readers, Leveled readers, Fiction, Non-fiction, Magazines,…
– Reading isn’t just about storybooks, many younger children enjoy reading factual information just as much as fiction.
– Visit the library regularly to make sure your child sees lots of different types of books – this way they can begin to decide what they like and don’t like. Newspapers can also provide good reading material.
– A great source of free reading material can be found in the form of leaflets and pamphlets advertising local attractions.
TOP TIP 2: READ ALOUD
Read-a-loud is a top role model for reading. Make sure that your child sees you read regularly, and most importantly let your child see you gain pleasure and information from what you read. Read aloud to your child Books, Poems, Nursery rhymes, Newspaper and Magazine articles, Text message, Food labels, Recipe, Road signs pretty much anything close to hand. This will encourage your child to look for words and to understand their importance.
TOP TIP 3: ASK QUESTIONS
Ask questions about the story as you read it. Watch the story about who is this character, why did they do that, and what you think happened next.
Talk to your child about the words used in the story and what those words mean. Why do you think the writer use that word? Can you think of another word that means the same thing?
TOP TIP 4: GO ONLINE
Don’t forget the power of technology. There are hundreds of apps and good-quality online reading sites where children can play games and read different types of material.
Online games can support phonics and spelling. There are also sites with online stories to listen to. Tesla students can currently read Epic books from 9 am-3 pm during school days and use some of the original interactive stories or lots of educational videos there.
TOP TIP 5: MAKE A SPACE
Although it’s great to read anywhere or at any time. Children enjoy knowing that there’s a special time when you share reading with them. For many children, this might be before bedtime but it can be any time that suits you and your child. Choose a special place or a regular time when you and your child can read together.
TOP TIP 6: MAKE IT FUN!
Try to make sure that reading doesn’t become a chore, make it fun and your child can look forward to it.
Take it in turns to read a line each, put on silly voices when reading aloud, add a bit of drama to stories, act out what’s happening, or dress up in costume.
Try reading in an unusual place: reading under the cover, one-iPhone night torches, making a tent with a sheet and pillows, and reading in the tent.
*** TAKEAWAY
Not every child finds reading easy and not all children learn at that pace.
But by following these top tips, you’re giving your child a head start by creating a positive attitude to reading. Thank you & Happy reading!
