Director of Studies
The global outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in the closure of gyms, stadiums, pools, dance and fitness studios, physiotherapy centres, parks, and playgrounds. Many individuals are therefore not able to actively participate in their regular individual or group sporting or physical activities outside of their homes. Under such conditions, many tend to be less physically active, have longer screen time, irregular sleep patterns as well as worse diets, resulting in weight gain and loss of physical fitness. The World Health Organisation recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. The benefits of such periodic exercise are proven very helpful, especially in times of anxiety, crisis, and fear. There are concerns therefore that, in the context of the pandemic, lack of access to regular sporting or exercise routines may result in challenges to the immune system, physical health, including by leading to the commencement of or exacerbating existing diseases that have their roots in a sedentary lifestyle.
Lack of access to exercise and physical activity can also have mental health impacts, which can compound stress or anxiety that many will experience in the face of isolation from normal social life.
Reading the above from WHO made me realize what an impact Covid has on the wellbeing of so many of us including children. We have been fortunate in Vietnam to an extent, but I would suggest that although there has been a loss of learning and Tesla is no exception, the loss of fitness may be more significant if we do not all address that and make up for that loss.
Thank you,
Robin Klymow
Director of Studies
PYP Coordinator
In Grade 4 EAL this week we participated in a reading activity. First, we shared the reading of “The Good Egg”. We enjoyed the reading as it is a wonderful book with great language and excellent illustration. Ms. Kim asked us some questions before, during and after the reading to help us think about the plot, infer some details, predict what is happening next and analyze the main character’s various emotions. Then we had a discussion about the connections we could make between us and the story. We came up with very good ideas since there are twelve eggs in the story and we are eleven in Grade 4. After that we completed a summary of the story by filling in the blanks with given words. Next we described the main character’s feelings and emotions in three different stages of the story. Finally, we mentioned how we can prepare for the coming book week by choosing and dressing up as our favourite book characters without having to buy expensive clothing.
MYP Coordinator
Collage artwork Our Grade 1 students have just finished their project, illustrating their knowledge and understanding of patterns as well as improving their skill in making colours for the thematic topic “City Skyscrapers”. Students also learned how to cut out the shapes of buildings without using pencil or ruler. Some students were very creative, adding cars and other vehicles in front of their buildings to make them look realistic. At the end of the project, students were very proud of their collage paintings.
Director of Admissions
Tesla is now a candidate for the IBPYP; IBMYP; IBDP and that means that Grade KG is the first year of Primary School, the same as all other IB World Schools around the globe. At Tesla, KG children (aged 5yrs – 6yrs) are beginning their International Baccalaureate (IB) journey in the first year of Primary School. This is very different from the Vietnamese National curriculum, where they begin Primary School when moving to Gr 1 (6yrs – 7yrs).
KG is a period of tremendous cognitive growth. Children at this age are undergoing a large amount of change very quickly and are learning to see the world in many new and interesting ways. However, it’s also important to realize that even at this early stage, there are fundamental skills that children need to acquire in order to be successful later in life. These core cognitive skills will help them be successful at an early age, but children will also build upon those skills as they get older. Each week in Tesla Talk we will introduce you to 5 core skills for KG to develop. Today we introduce the third important and foundation skill:
Counting from 1 to 10, correctly and consistently.
This skill is the foundation of all math and will come in very handy as your child’s KG class begins writing numbers, learning simple addition, understanding the concepts of “more” and “less”, and sorting groups of items.
Being able to count from one through 10 is a core skill that all children should have before moving beyond the first year of Primary (KG). The ability to count that high is actually a relatively complex skill for kids in KG. It requires them to be able to recognize what each number means, understand how to arrange those numbers in the appropriate order, and finally count those numbers without needing any sort of external help.
At Tesla KG is our first year of Primary School and therefore we know that it is important to begin teaching KG children, critical thinking, communication, and other core skills as early as possible. These are building blocks upon which students will continue to rely as they grow older. Without establishing these skills early in life, students will be left at a disadvantage as they continue to move into higher levels of education.
At Tesla, a healthy balance between lessons in and out of the classroom is maintained to offer children a comprehensive development of both physical and mental aspects. Exercising outdoors helps children be more active and confident while also enhancing their physical, intellectual, and communication skills.
Summary of project “3R environmental protection and natural phenomena” of Tan Binh Campus
This week, teachers and students finish the project of term 3. Ending the project is a time for students to review what they have learned. Students are very excited to participate in activities and experiments to show their skills and knowledge gained during the term.
Today, teachers and students have finished a term 3 project on natural phenomena. They experienced doing volcanic experiments, learned the feeling of feet through objects: water, rocks, sand, paper. The children were so excited about the project; after completing term 3, they also learned a lot of interesting knowledge.
Important information for our current families and friends in regards to any younger siblings / younger children that you may like to enroll for the New School Year August 2021 – 2022. Tesla Admissions is now open, please apply to ensure that your place is secured early, as some grades may fill up fast creating a waitlist for August 2021.
Please submit the Inquiry Form at https://tesla.edu.vn/en/admissions/admissions-process/, and the Admissions Team will contact you.
If you would like to receive more information regarding enrollment, please contact Tesla at: admission@tesla.edu.vn.
Tesla is pleased to offer a limited number of Academic Scholarships ranging from 25% to 100% for new MYP students for the next school year 2021-2022. Please note the closing date is coming soon on April 1st 2021, please apply now!
If you would like to receive more information regarding enrollment, please contact Tesla at: admission@tesla.edu.vn.