Discovering Our World
Science is a way for the little ones as well as the older teens to engage with their surroundings. At the Science Museum, Sir Isaac Newton was at hand to talk them through the concept of gravity. The children particularly enjoyed him removing his funny wig at the end of his talk to reveal a very bald head! And then there was the slime! Some of the students were disgusted at first, but fairly soon, everyone dipped their hands into the bizarre concoction and enjoyed the weird feeling of having their hands submerged in the gluey stuff. Giulio even pulled his hands out to pretend to be Shrek to entertain his classmates.
We also got in touch with nature this past month during our breaks in Hyde Park or excursions to the many venues and workshops where we came face-to-face with plants and insects of all types. We smelled our way through the spice trade and learned to tell our cinnamons from our gingers. We fished for creepy crawlies and realised that ponds are not just full of murky water but actually full of life. Snails and water lice - Ewww!
Playing Games in the Park
The teacher was handed 10-year-old Hamdan's bag and realised that his bag was very heavy. When she looked inside, she saw three bottles of water, and she asked Hamdan why he was carrying such a heavy load. The student, from Dubai, replied: “Well teacher, you never know when you are gonna walk into a desert!”. Considering how hot it has been in London, the boy did have a point!
It has been the hottest summer on record in London, and we are making sure that the kids staying behind for our After School Club get a lot of fresh air. We are very lucky to be a stone's throw from a landmark London park, where we sometimes head to relax, have lunch and play. One of the children's number 1 game choices is the classic Duck Duck Goose, which thanks to their imaginations has morphed into 'Pizza, Pizza, Chips' , 'Zoo, Zoo, Post Office', 'Chicken, Chicken, Egg' or my personal favourite 'Cheese, Cheese, Mouse'.
Travelling back in time to Good Ol' England
Something you realise when you are in England is that this country holds history and tradition very close to its heart. During this month, we travelled back in time to an era when women wore strange hats called “bonnets”, teachers were very mean and 'horrid' murder mysteries went unsolved. Straight from the 1600s, Lady Peyton showed us around the iconic Tower of London, where we explored torture through the ages.
The past seemed to be a whole lot less nice than the present. In a Victorian classroom, the sunny Hi-London teacher was replaced by a ‘mean Victorian school teacher’ with a ruler in her hand. Lea thought it was all 'very funny', but Maria and Eugenia, who had gone to the toilet and missed the introduction, were shocked to be confronted by this beastly old teacher upon their return! More dark stories came from the teens who visited a sinister sailing town in East London. Inspired by this unsettling experience, they delivered a chilling performance of their own murder mystery at the end of the week which scared and very much entertained the Hi-London team.
...And Learning English Along the Way
We are always surprised by what children pick up. 8-year-old Catarina who arrived speaking very little English learned two very useful phrases. Upon seeing the giant skeleton of a dinosaur, she blurted out 'My God!' Later, she pointed to the teacher's mobile and exclaimed 'I phone cover!'. It has been lovely to see the children and teens making new friends. English, as the common language, acts as the bridge between our students, and we hope that those who meet here sustain their friendships after they leave. Teenagers Virginia from Italy, Cornelia from Norway and Lou Anne from France were bonding during their Tube rides to the various venues across London. Cornelia was happy to realise that although they may all live miles away from each other, they are all partial to a bit of shopping at Hollister!
