The Kailua children’s current favourite song is “Let It Go,” the theme of the popular Disney movie, Frozen. The children sing it at school in both English and Japanese. Even the toddlers have memorized the lyrics. The children are fun to watch as they try to reach the highest notes and imitate Ana’s actions.
Knowing that Frozen would be a popular study theme — when students sing, act, draw, and tell stories about it in their daily lives, then you know you’re onto a winner — it was decided that Frozen would be the theme of Kailua’s week-long winter school from December 15–19.
The winter school will accommodate five groups with a maximum of ten children in each group, as follows: the toddlers mixed class, kindergarten basic English group, kindergarten bilingual, elementary basic English, and elementary advanced English. Winter school enrollees tend to be a mix of the regular Kailua students (the bulk of the enrollees), children who have attended other Kailua programs (such as spring or summer school), and children new to Kailua, most of whom have been recommended by friends who have had the chance to attend Kailua earlier.
The winter program’s morning/early afternoon sessions are from 9:30am–2:30pm and afternoon sessions are from 3–6pm. Children may choose one of the sessions or attend both morning and afternoon schedules.
Each day will start with a morning assembly in the hall. This will open with a generic prayer led by a student, followed by callisthenics exercises. Circle songs come next — “Kailua Is Your Home,” “Weather Song,” “Months of the Year,” “Days of the Week,” and the “Alphabet Song.” The group finale song will be “Let It Go,” in English or Japanese. The children will also sing the happy birthday song for children who are celebrating their birthdays.
The day’s thematic lessons and activities will include (depending on age group) aloha spirit values stories, English conversations, language arts (phonics, writing, spelling, and vocabulary), maths concepts and operations, artwork, group singing, and speeches. Park playtime is in the afternoon, and when cancelled due to the weather, it becomes creative play in the rooms or in the hall. Older children may use cancelled playtime to practise for Step Eiken tests.
Seats are filling up fast, so interested parents are encouraged to call 047-479-7272 or check http://kailua-international-school.info for more information about the school. — ROBERT L. GOMEZ
