Wang Haolan

Holly_cn@163.com

Many students at Shekou International School (SIS) carried on learning in classrooms and mingling with their peers at the school ‘s summer learning program, albeit this year’s summer holiday kicked off as usual in mid-June after concluding the maybe-shortest-ever semester at the school due to the impact of COVID-19 epidemic.

The summer program, which wrapped up on Friday, held collaborative and group learning activities for students from nursery to Grade 8 on fundamental subjects such as English, mathematics, Chinese, and extensive subjects including arts, theater, and physical education.

According to Greg Smith, head of SIS, the program extended the time students spent in classrooms and on campus, and thus enhanced their interpersonal connections with peers and teachers. Due to the epidemic, students and teachers have spent most of time in this semester learning and teaching online from home.

“The intention of the program was to provide the shared classroom experiences that our students did not have enough of, and to give them opportunities to learn while in the company of their friends. It was very rewarding to see that the students were able to enjoy being together with their friends and teachers on the campus through taking the program,” said Smith during an interview with Shenzhen Daily.

The teachers noted that curriculum for the summer program were different from those for a traditional school year. “Rather than completing a lesson focused on specific mathematical concepts, we focused on practical skills such as estimation, problem solving, and justification,” said Ann Durham, a mathematics teacher with the secondary school at SIS.

Durham encouraged students to go beyond the classroom and learn mathematics in the real world. She guided the students on how to estimate how many bottles of cokes are needed to fill a swimming pool, to analyze graphs and charts in news items, and to go for a photo walk to find examples of mathematics in the surroundings.

As to the arts classes for the secondary school, students were introduced to a vast range of techniques including screen painting, jelly-plate painting, ceramics, graffiti, tie dye, and more. Kathryn Hobbs, an art teacher with the school, stated that she tries to make the curriculum catering to every student’s individual interest. “I asked questions and gave each student the tools to turn their visions into fruition,” she said.

For Annie Ferguson, a mathematics and dance teacher at the primary school at SIS, the program was about presenting a collection of project-based teaching activities that helped her better exchange views and thoughts with the students.

“In math classes, we held a fair where students created games based on probability and chance. In dancing classes, it was awesome to share my love of musical theatre with the students,” said Ferguson.

Students participating in the program reaped great benefits from their summer classes and felt that they have become closer with their friends and teachers.

“The summer camp was a good place to be with my friends and teachers and to be more productive in the summer holiday. My favorite subject was art because we learned different techniques and tried new things,” said Josephine from Grade 6.

“I enjoyed the Master Class which explored different careers and how to get a job. I liked learning about astronauts,” said Tracy from the same grade.