December at Tiger Cub Immersion School was a month filled with excitement, discovery, and festive spirit as we delved into the wonders of "Winter." From creating sparkling snowflakes and exploring the traditions of the holiday season, to gathering as a school community for our much-anticipated Holiday Party, students and families alike brought warmth and joy to the closing days of 2025.
Our journey into the theme of "Winter" invited students to explore the magic and beauty of the season through hands-on activities and imaginative play. Throughout the month, we read stories such as "Goodbye Autumn, Hello Summer," "Winter is Coming," and "The Snowy Day" to learn about changing weather and wintertime fun. Inspired by these tales, students painted snowmen, crafted igloos, designed their own mittens, hats, and scarves, and experimented with salt paintings and glittering icicles. We built snowmen from cotton balls and cereal, created beaded and wooden stick snowflakes, and decorated our classroom with festive ornaments and paper plate Christmas trees. Each project encouraged creativity and nurtured a love for the season's unique sights and traditions.
December also brought growth in academic pursuits, as students continued to develop their language, math, and fine motor skills. Students practiced writing Chinese characters including 天 (tiān), 刀 (dāo), 牛 (niú), 石 (shí), 冬 (dōng), and 鱼 (yú), and reviewed characters learned earlier in the year. We reinforced number recognition and counting skills by identifying and ordering numbers up to 10, and the class worked together this month to brainstorm words beginning with the letter M, such as "mountain," "moon," and "monkey." Students practiced cutting with safety scissors, arranged patterns with tissue paper, and decorated gingerbread people, all while building confidence and independence in each new skill.
The holiday season brought opportunities for cultural exploration and celebration in our classrooms. Students learned about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa through reading stories like "Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama," "The Night Before Kwanzaa," and "Countdown to Hanukkah." We discussed holiday traditions, the importance of helping others, and the ways families celebrate together around the world. Hands-on projects included crafting menorahs with popsicle sticks and yarn, creating kinaras with colorful paper, and making Christmas ornaments and wreaths to take home. These activities helped foster curiosity, respect, and appreciation for the rich diversity of winter celebrations.
Our highlight of the month was our annual Holiday Party, where students, families, and teachers gathered to share the joy of the season. The event was filled with laughter, creativity, and community spirit as everyone joined in the festivities and participated in our Gift Exchange. We are deeply grateful to our parents and families for your ongoing support, enthusiasm, and generosity, which make our school such a special place to learn and grow together.
As we say farewell to 2025, we look forward to welcoming everyone back in January, ready for new adventures and discoveries. Next month, we will embark on a journey into our new theme and continue to nurture curiosity, learning, and friendship at Tiger Cub Immersion School. Wishing all our families a safe, joyful holiday and a happy New Year!
Students designed their own winter hats, mittens, and scarves.
Students traced a snowflake design with glue, poured salt on top, and dabbed watercolor paint to make salt paintings.
Students pushed cotton balls into a container to build a "snowman."
Students practiced writing many different Chinese characters this month, such as 天 (tiān).
Students arranged green tissue paper in an AB pattern to create their wreaths.
Students practiced cutting with scissors.
Students decorated their own gingerbread people with sequins, pompoms, and beans.
Students painted and decorated paper plates to create a Christmas tree.
Students wrapped popsicle sticks in colorful yarn to represent the 8 candles and the helper candle, or shamash, and painted yellow Hanukkah menorahs.
Thank you for joining us for our annual Holiday Party! Have a wonderful holiday season, and happy New Year!
