June 29, 2008

Dear Parents,

We are happy to offer Grade 1 at our Van Phuc location for the 2008-2009 school year.

We would like to introduce our new Grade 1 teacher, Ms Gloria Cooke. Gloria is a native Australian teacher and has been teaching grade 1 in South Korea for the past three years. Gloria will bring with her 17 years of experience teaching as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Education from University of Wollongong in Australia as well as a certificate in TESOL. We are delighted to have Gloria join our team here at Morning Star International Kindergarten. 

This class will follow an innovative curriculum to address all the educational needs of your child. This is a foundational time in the educational process of a child and with a firm foundation in phonics supplemented by the development of sight word recognition your child will begin his or her journey of reading for a lifetime. Phonics, reading and writing instruction will be integrated into all areas of the curriculum.

“When phonics instruction is linked to children's reading and writing, they are more likely to become strategic and independent in their use of phonics than when phonics instruction is drilled and practiced in isolation” (The Role of Phonics in Reading Instruction: A Position Statement of the International Reading Association, 1998).

First grade is a vital time for the development of math skills. Through large-group instruction your child will explore basic addition, subtraction, graphing, estimation, weight and measurement, and much more. Then through the use of our text your child will be challenged to deepen their understanding and practice their skills.

Additionally, extensive, in-depth cross-curricular units/themes will be used to explore the interests of your child and open their eyes to the exciting world of learning. These themes will involve the study of nature, math, geography, literature, history and much more. These experiential units will challenge our reading, writing and math skills in a real-world, integrated approach.

Each child is unique and at this age it is common to have a wide range of abilities in one classroom. Differentiation will be used in the classroom to meet the individual needs of each learner, providing them with the right balance of support and challenge in their academic journey.

At Morning Star we recognize that learning is a process that goes far beyond just reading, writing and arithmetic. Therefore, Morning Star First Grade will have a full P.E., Art, Music, and Vietnamese or Dutch language program to round out your child's education.

For more information, please contact Morningstar Academy
Van Phuc 4, Van Bao Road,Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
04.3726.1587
morningstar@hn.vnn.vn

We look forward to meeting you and being a part of your child’s academic voyage.

Sincerely,

Nguyen Kim Trieu
Director
Morning Star Academy