Panda Class Blog - 2nd June 2025

 


Dear Panda Families,

We hope you had an enjoyable weekend! 

The Pandas are continuing to embrace the Creative Arts in our Unit 'How We Express Ourselves', and we have been exploring sculptures around the world, and having good class discussions in our circle times about what we think about the sculptures and what materials we think they are made of. 

We've looked at Rodin's 'Thinker', 'Angel of the North' by Anthony Gormley, The Statue of Liberty, Ballerinas by Degas and many more! The children have also been busy making their own sculptures using playdough and clay during open play. 

The Pandas enjoyed painting in the style of Monet and have created some beautiful pieces of art! We have made our very own Panda Art Gallery for you to view when you visit us on the 19th of June for Art Day! The children are really proud of their work, and we hope you will be too! Information about Art Day is copied below from the recent Hillside Newsletter. We look forward to having you join us!

Some recent books we have read include Katie and the Waterlily Pond (lovely stories about a little girl magically hopping into Monet and Van Gogh's paintings), and Julia Donaldson's  'What the Ladybird Heard':

  



Role play has been hugely popular with the children, and they have been dressing up in various costumes and creating their own imaginative play in our castle! It is wonderful to hear so much development in their language as the Pandas talk to one another! 

Over the coming weeks, we are going to be exploring marble painting, tinker tray creations using frames and loose parts, as well as exploring shape art using different shapes to create pictures. 

Open Play is very busy as always, and we have had the opportunity to expand on storytelling using the puppet show in the Monkey Class, relax at the 'beach' in the sandpit and some music and movement in the Dolphin Class! After the snack, the K1s are exploring stencils and becoming more confident to use them and explore their mark-making in different ways!

Upcoming Dates

Please click to download the 2024/25 Hillside Calendar. You can also access the school calendar via the ESF App.

26-29 May: K1 PTCs (Separate App Message)

28 May: K2 Incursion - Move for Life

30 May: ESF-wide K2 to Y1 Transition Day

19 June: K1 Celebration of Learning 

20 June: K2 Celebration of Learning 

26 June: Last school day + Party Day


2025/26 Calendar

As the HK government has gazetted the public holidays for 2026, please find attached the final 2025/26 school calendar (LINK). 

Please note that there will be a separate orientation schedule for K1s and K2s for the first week of term. The first day of school for K2s is scheduled for Monday, 18 August; we will share more details with parents before the summer.


K1 Celebration of Learning (Art Day) - Thursday 19 June - Sign-ups available

We are delighted to invite parents to join our K1 End-of-Year Celebration of Learning - Art Day, which will be held on 19 June at Hillside for all K1 classes. Please take note of the following details:

  • This is not a normal full-session school day. Children and parents will only attend during their chosen time slot.
  • Families are invited for a 1-hour session. You will now receive a separate app message to sign up.
  • We invite up to 2 grown-ups to accompany their child to Art Day.
  • There will be no bus service on that day, and we ask for your understanding and assistance on this exceptional occasion.

If you need any support with signing up, please contact our admin team at 2540 0066.


Here are our class photo albums for you to view:

                                            Panda Class AM & Panda Class PM

Our Spotify Album is Here. 

Please note that Library book borrowing has finished for the term as of today (Monday, 2nd June), in order for us to collect all the books. 

We wish you all a good week ahead!


Best regards,

The Panda Team


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