FOR this week’s In the Classroom feature, reporter Grace Walton shares her experience at Perry Wood Primary, in St Albans Close, Worcester. She met with year 4 teacher Lisa Wooldridge, while the schoolchildren and staff were celebrating International Day.

THE whole school was celebrating International Day which incorporated activities in relation to China.

The day focused on Chinese New Year. The teachers and pupils looked at why we celebrate Chinese New Year which helped build on the children’s cultural understanding. Parents also came in for workshops and to spend time with their children.

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Miss Wooldridge said: “It’s so important for children to have a broad and balanced curriculum. It’s important for them to have a deeper understanding of the world around them and especially with current issues with our planet.

“The children absolutely love it. They love all cross curricular things that we do, and the parents give positive feedback when they come. They love to see what the children are doing.”

They re-enacted a Chinese parade with the Chinese dragon by using drums and used fake firecrackers to re-enact the excitement of the festival.

The parents came in and took part in team building exercises based around China.

There were a vast amount of activities to take part in, which included poetry work on Chinese New Year, and creative arts as the students designed willow plates and fan making.

At the end of the day the students, parents and teachers came together and celebrated all their work.

I spoke to some of the students about International Day and what they enjoyed about it.

Brooke Williams said: “I enjoyed today because we did a lot of things and also got to eat Chinese food – I had the sweet and sour chicken. We have been making Chinese poems and playing games in the hall with our parents.”

Riley Attwood said: “Today has been good and we have been doing lots of Chinese activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year. We have been painting a dragon head.”

Sowmiya Sathyamoorthy said: “We have been making dragons and poems and also been playing maths Chinese games. This has been our favourite International Day we have done. We have learnt all about the Chinese things and it’s been really interesting.”

Each term the school focuses on a different country for its International Day, these have so far included the USA and Australia.

The idea of the day is for the children to learn more about that country and its current affairs. It develops their geographic level and widens their understanding of the world.