At Nexus International School (Singapore), the vibrant tapestry of cultures is not just embraced but celebrated!
Building Knowledge Across the Unit of Inquiry
Throughout their Unit of Inquiry (UOI) ‘How we express ourselves,’ Year 3 learners have been on a journey of discovery, building upon their knowledge of cultural expressions. They explored the central idea that ‘Culture is reflected through the Arts.’
The celebration wasn’t the first time parents were invited to join the learners on their cultural exploration. Earlier in the term, parents were invited to the year 3 Culture Fair to run mini-workshops, offering a hands-on experience of different cultures and their unique art forms. These sessions allowed parents to share their cultural insights, fostering a collaborative, authentic, and interactive approach to learning.
Showcasing Cultural Expressions
Our Year 3 learners recently extended a warm invitation to their families and friends for a Cultural Celebration in the auditorium. This event wasn’t just a performance; it was a combination of their explorations into different cultures and art forms. For many of our learners, it also was their first time on stage in front of an audience.
From instrumental performances to traditional dances, Rangoli art, and insights gained from foreign language lessons, the learners celebrated the richness of their cultural learning. The grand finale brought the entire year together to sing a song that celebrated cultures from around the world.
The teachers were so proud of the learners being on stage, and this experience will pave the way for them to enjoy more performances in the future!
An Interview with the Year 3 Learner Council
Behind the scenes, the performances and planning all started with the Year 3 Learner Council — Ariyan, Matty, Sonny, Thomas, and Tiffany.
The team worked together to introduce the assembly to their classmates, creating eye-catching posters and speeches that connected with their Unit of Inquiry. Their teamwork set the stage for an amazing experience.
We sat down with two members of the Year 3 Council, Ariyan and Matty, to gain insight into their learning journey and their thoughts on the Unit of Inquiry.
Tell us about the different cultures you learned about when preparing for the assembly. What did you find most interesting about each culture?
Matty: I liked learning about Scottish culture. My group did the Flying Scotsman dance during the performance. It was difficult learning the dance because we had to count the beats and remember the steps. I still remember all of the dance! One of my friends parents recorded the performance and I enjoyed watching it back.
Ariyan: I found New Zealand culture the most interesting. We learned about the history behind the haka and got to perform one during the assembly! I liked that we got to learn new words from the Maori language and it was a new experience having to learn the movements of the haka and pair them with the words.
I also enjoyed learning about Irish dancing playing the Irish fiddle. It was my first time learning how to play the violin! It was hard but our music teacher, Ms. Cassie, helped us remember the beats by using phrases like “caterpillar – cactus” and “kitty cat kitty cat,” so we could match the syllables to the timing of the beats.
What was the most challenging part of preparing for the assembly? How did you overcome this challenge?
Ariyan: We were given a lot of responsibility and were in charge of introducing the assembly to all of the year 3 classes. We worked together to make posters and prepared a speech that we presented to each class.
Matty: My most challenging moment was preparing for the performance. I found it challenging to try to time the steps of the dance correctly.
Mr. Russell was very helpful and helped us through all the steps. When we were rehearsing, he would pause the music and ask us to reflect on each section. There were 2 groups in my performance so we needed to improve our timing to make sure everyone was in sync. The music gets faster and faster, so we had to make sure we watched each other.
Ariyan: Yes, we both overcame our challenges by not giving up and kept practising!
What do you think makes culture important?
Ariyan: If we didn’t have culture, we would all be the same.
Matty: Yes, and that would be so boring! There wouldn’t be different countries or opportunities to learn from each other.
What is one thing you learned about yourself through this experience?
Ariyan and Matty: Never give up!
A Celebration Beyond Borders
Nexus International School’s Year 3 Cultural Celebration went beyond showcasing talent; it was a celebration of Nexus’ rich diversity.
With over 60 nationalities, and none taking up more than 15% of the total population, Nexus is a truly international school. Families gather from all over the world meaning that there can be up to 14 different nationalities in each classroom!
As the world becomes more globalised and connected, cultural intelligence becomes a soft skill that is increasingly sought after. Dealing with cultural diversity offers opportunities educationally, socially and culturally. Find out more about the importance of diversity in education and how Nexus incorporates cultural sharing into the curriculum and beyond the classroom.
Nexus International School (Singapore)
As a school for learners aged 3 - 18 years old, we love sharing our insights on education, learner wellbeing and learning in general.
