Specialists

Each class from Nursery to Pre-K have a full-time Mandarin assistant, who supports the language development of both non-native and heritage speakers of Mandarin. Students benefit from daily Mandarin classes and engage in a variety of language, culture and art-based activities. The Mandarin assistants work closely with homeroom teachers to link the children's Mandarin learning to other areas of the curriculum.

Throughout the early years, children are learning to do new things with their bodies. Young children are also learning that movement can communicate messages and represent actions. Young children can perform and recognize pantomimed actions such as ironing, stirring, swimming, or playing the piano.

Most children usually are quite comfortable with movement. They begin to learn about the world by acting on objects and people, and they “think with their bodies” well before they think with words. Therefore body movement is not only fun for children but is also a good opportunity for them to solve problems.

Skills Developed in Rhythm and Movement classes:

The HIS Rhythm and Movement Curriculum

Students in Kindergarten have specialist Art class twice per week for forty minutes. Students learn a variety of skills in painting, drawing, collage and construction.

Each Kindergarten class has a full-time Mandarin assistant, who supports the language development of both non-native and heritage speakers of Mandarin. Students benefit from Mandarin classes twice per week, which focus on Chinese language, culture and art. Three times per week, students also attend either Mandarin or ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, depending on their language needs.

Students in Kindergarten attend Rhythm and Movement classes three times per week. The children learn a range of gross motor skills through fun and engaging songs, activities and games. Students in Kindergarten Rhythm and Movement cover components of a Music, Dance and PE curriculum, in preparation for their transition to Grade 1.

Skills that Rhythm and Movement can help develop

1. Participating in a group
2. Social skills
3. Express emotions
4. Enhance self‐concept by sharing music and dance of each other’s culture
5. Refine listening skills‐noticing changes in tempo or pitch
6. Awareness of movement and body positions
7. Creativity and imagination
8. Learn new words and concepts
9. Explore cause and effect
10. Develop large motor skills
11. Improve balance, coordination, and rhythm through dance and movement activities
12. Improve small motor skills‐learning finger plays and playing musical instruments.

The HIS Rhythm and Movement Curriculum

Students in Grades 1-5 attend Art class once per week for 40 minutes. The visual arts program at HIS strives to not only develop each child's artistic skills, but their understanding of and appreciation of art.

The children focus on developing skills concepts such as lines to 3D projects. As students progress through each grade level, they experience working with a wide variety of art mediums. The goal is to have lifelong learners in art and apply their knowledge, skills and understanding to a broad range of contexts.

Students from Grades 1-5 receive either daily Mandarin or ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, as required. Mandarin classes are offered at a variety of levels for each Grade, to cater for the needs of our diverse student population.

Students in Grades 1-5 attend Music class twice per week for forty minutes. Music class involves all areas of learning: the cognitive which focuses on the acquisition of knowledge about music, the psychomotor which focuses on the development of skills in music, and the affective which includes the appreciation of and sensitivity to music.

Overall characteristics of the program include:

Activities that promote musical literacy: singing, playing instruments, moving/dancing, reading/notating music, improvising/composing music, and listening to/describing/analyzing/evaluating music and music performances.

Music lessons developed in collaboration with the core subjects to enable the students to make important connections in their learning.

Yearly expansion of students' knowledge and understanding of the musical elements: pitch, tempo, duration, dynamics, timbre/texture, and form.

Students have many opportunities throughout the school year to demonstrate their musical accomplishments by making presentations in assemblies and concerts for the school and community.

Students in Grades 1 to 5 attend PSPE classes twice per week for forty minutes. The Lower School Personal Social and Physical Education program (PSPE) focusses on the development of concepts, knowledge, attitudes and skills in the areas of sport, exercise, health and well-being.

Physical Education is more than just student participation in sports and games. It is an important vehicle to equip students with experiences and information that will help them make wise choices and enjoy being active for life.

The purpose of the HIS PSPE program is to develop a combination of transferable skills promoting physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. This is achieved through a balanced program, that includes the following type of experiences:

• Individual Pursuits (Athletics/Fundamental movement skills)
• Movement Composition (Dance)
• Games (Invasion Games)
• Adventure Challenges (Cooperative/critical thinking)
• Health-related fitness.

The focus of these experiences is different for each grade level. We want the students to experience structured activities that are fun and also to have learned enough about their own health and fitness to be able to lead full, healthy lives.