Cross-curricular learning week builds common competencies and equips students for the future

Tai Po Old Market Public School (Plover Cove)Continuously innovate and seek breakthroughs, design diversified learning activities with students as the center, enrich their learning experience, and help students understand and develop their personal character strengths in the process of growth, thereby establishing a sense of accomplishment and goals. Principal Ye Yizhao has always kept pace with the times and led the teaching team to continuously optimize the school-based curriculum, design cross-curricular learning weeks, and carry out a series of situational experience activities to connect different learning areas, including situation simulations, role plays, task challenges, etc., in order to cultivate students' common skills in the 21st century, practice cross-curricular learning concepts, establish correct values, and cultivate students' all-round development.

Promote cross-curricular learning week and connect positive education with nature

To equip students to integrate knowledge and skills from different disciplines, broaden their horizons, and achieve mutual learning and cooperation during activities. The school promotes a cross-curricular learning week and designs appropriate situational experience activities for different grades. Each theme corresponds to the corresponding positive values ​​​​and attitudes, allowing students to practice the ten primary values ​​​​and attitudes through the activities, so as to achieve teaching results of informed behavior and moral cultivation. Principal Ye said, "The cross-curricular study week implements the concept of interdisciplinary learning, connects knowledge from different disciplines, and combines all-round learning activities to allow students to integrate knowledge, values and life. At the same time, the study week teaches students to understand 'positive education' in a simple and easy-to-understand way, helping students establish good personal living and study habits, so that they can give back to society in the future."

Work together to make jam and practice a profitable life

Healthy eating can promote students' healthy growth and build a strong body. To this end, the school combines nutrition and healthy eating education elements with the study week, and arranges fourth-grade students to serve as "Ying Ying Sauce Makers" and work together to make and sell Ying Jam. During the process, students will learn about the materials and ingredients for making jam, analyze their nutritional value, and understand the impact on the body, thereby establishing basic knowledge of nutrition and practicing balanced eating habits. At the same time, by making jam, students can not only cultivate communication, self-study and collaboration skills, but also create a learning atmosphere of unity and friendship.

Learn from games and know how to cherish resources

Games can help arouse students' learning motivation. The school has specially arranged for third-grade students to participate in the theme activity of "Children's Fun". They will play the role of game designers and travel back in time to the 1960s and 1970s to explore the entertainment culture of the past and understand the changes of the times. During the activity, students need to search and filter information for analysis, so as to practice their communication, collaboration and other skills. At the same time, they can establish good moral character of diligence and respect, so that students can stay grateful, know how to cherish everything they have now, and make good use of resources to learn and grow.

Understand biodiversity and promote environmental conservation

The school is committed to building a green campus, with ecological ponds, green gardens and shield-armed turtle gardens to encourage students to go into nature for experiential learning, cultivate their love for animals, plants and nature, and enhance their inquiring spirit and problem-solving abilities. On the day of the study week activities, second-grade students will serve as "animal specialists" and learn about nature and animals through feeding sharing, observation, and short film appreciation. Teachers will also bring pets such as turtles, snakes, lizards, etc. back to school to let students understand biological diversity and cultivate their respect and care for nature. Principal Ye added: "In addition to understanding animals during the activities, students need to further reflect and use methods such as observation, organization and analysis to study problems encountered by animals and formulate solutions. At the same time, students will also use their creativity to make animal paper bag costumes to call the public's attention to environmental issues. Finally, students will make community and school animal illustrations to convey the message of animal protection to the society."

Inherit Chinese culture and cultivate national identity

The school attaches great importance to the study of Chinese history and Chinese culture, allowing students to understand the importance of cultural relics conservation. Teachers led students to experience relevant activities in the three areas of environment, society and economy, and arranged for fifth grade students to become "conservation specialists" and search for "hidden treasures" of nature and the world, including visits to Ocean Park, Lam Tsuen Tin Hau Temple, the Wishing Tree and other places. In addition, the school will also organize various types of traditional Chinese handicraft cultural activities: lantern tying, Chinese knotting, Chinese paper-cutting, and flour dolls, allowing students to experience China's unique cultural characteristics first-hand, thereby building a sense of responsibility and commitment, and passing on relevant conservation culture. Through activities, students can not only observe and search for Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage, but also understand the current situation of cultural conservation in Hong Kong, and then understand the importance of sustainable development and learn to cherish and care for the things around them.

Connecting different learning stages and bravely meeting new challenges

Different stages of education indicate that students need to face different growth levels and face changes and challenges. Therefore, the school is committed to helping students connect different learning stages and better engage in the new learning environment. During the study week, first-year students will participate in the "Bohu Self-care Smart Star Project" as "athletes" to practice life skills, such as hygiene, dressing, shoelaces, dining etiquette, etc. Students who successfully advance can compete for the "Bohu Self-Care Smart Star" prize. Through activities, students can not only train their problem-solving and self-management abilities, but also learn to take care of themselves independently, cultivate a brave and perseverant heart, and become good, law-abiding citizens in the future.

In addition, in order to ease the transition of sixth grade students to the new life of middle school, the school has specially organized a theme activity "Under the Same Sky". The student union plays the role of "social entrepreneurs", holds fund-raising booth activities, and shoots promotional videos to promote the spirit of caring, achieving the effect of giving back to the society. Principal Ye pointed out: "The games at the fundraising booth were all discussed and designed by the children, and the activity prizes were also purchased by the sixth grade students. This will cultivate their financial management skills and literacy, understand the concepts of 'needs' and 'wants', and establish a smart consumption concept. At the same time, teachers will also teach students to recognize Understand that "wealth is divided into three parts": purchasing, saving, and charity, and cultivate their empathy and caring spirit. In addition to establishing a correct outlook on financial management, students will also learn to use multimedia tools to create short videos to convey caring messages, increase their attention to different social issues, and cultivate a heart to give back to the society."

"Both Talents and Virtues" Financial Management Education Connects Knowledge with Life

Financial education can help students master the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for proper financial management. Since 2018, the school has participated in the "Financial Management School Project with Balanced Talents and Moralities" organized by the University-School Partnership Center of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and established a core group for "Balanced Talents and Moralities" education within the school. The school plans a school-based curriculum structure for financial education in Chinese, English, Mathematics, and Normal, which organically combines financial management elements and moral education with existing subject topics. The content design combines innovative elements such as life-oriented, contextualized, simulated financial management experience, value reflection, and extended financial management behaviors to effectively stimulate students' learning motivation and interest.

Principal Ye added: "The school has implemented the plan for many years and achieved remarkable results. The teaching team will also optimize the classroom teaching design through lesson preparation and lesson observation every year, and continue to develop the school-based financial education curriculum. At the same time, the curriculum will cooperate with library activities and parent activities to design non-subject and parent-child financial education activities to cultivate Students' correct financial management concepts." With its rich experience in financial management education, the school won the "Investor and Financial Management Education Award (Teaching) - School Category Gold Award" this year, and was invited to become a financial management ambassador school for the "Financial Management Schools with Talent and Morality Program" to promote school-based financial management and moral education experience and promote the development of financial management education in schools.