City of London School Highlights - 10th July, 2025
- 10 mins
Baby Room Newsletter
Language, Culture & Creative Play
This week, our Hatchlings immersed themselves in language learning, sensory exploration, African culture, and joyful celebrations—all while building confidence, communication, and creativity.
Come see how our Hatchlings grow through language, discovery, and creativity
Modern Languages
Throughout the week, the children enjoyed engaging Mandarin sessions with Teacher Sara. Through an animal-themed storybook, they learned to say names like fish (鱼 yú), cow (牛 niú), zebra (斑马 bānmǎ), and duck (鸭子 yāzi), enthusiastically practicing both words and matching signs with their voices and hands
Exploring Africa - Regional Education
As part of our Africa theme, the children explored animal patterns, sand play, focusing on zebras while learning how to say “zebra” in Mandarin. They also created bold sponge-printed artwork inspired by traditional African fabric patterns, using vibrant colours and real fabric swatches to guide their designs.
We also revisited the story Handa’s Surprise, using pretend fruits and sand to recreate the story. Children practiced their fine motor skills while placing fruits in Handa’s basket, engaging with the theme in a sensory-rich, imaginative way.
Sensory Learning
The children were introduced to the Mandarin word for spider—zhīzhū—during a themed sensory session. While singing Incy Wincy Spider, they played with foam and textured spider shapes, supporting sensory awareness and language development in a hands-on, playful way.
Celebrating Festivals
We explored the joyful St Paul’s Carnival through music, scarves, and dancing, learning about Caribbean culture through movement and dress-up play.
In celebration of Teddy Bear Picnic Day, the babies brought their favourite soft toys for a pretend picnic, feeding them fruits and pastries. This activity supported imaginative play, social interaction, and early language skills.
Sporty Minis
Miss Molly led a lively mindfulness session filled with bubble popping, shaker music, and singing the “Hello Song.” These fun, music-based activities help nurture early emotional development and support focus, rhythm, and engagement.
Blue Dragons Newsletter
Culture, Creativity & Confidence
This week, our Blue Dragons roared with excitement as we explored African wildlife through creative footprint art, learned Mandarin through Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and developed rhythm, coordination, and mindfulness with our specialist teachers.Regional Activities: Exploring Africa
We went on an imaginary safari to learn about African animals and the unique footprints they leave behind. Using toy animals dipped in paint, children created colourful safari tracks, matching prints to animals and discussing their habitats and diets—combining art, play, and geography in one hands-on adventure.
Language and Art Week
As part of Art Week, we explored Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers and learned the Mandarin word for sunflower: 向日葵 (Xiàngrìkuí). Inspired by his bold brushstrokes, children created their own sunflower masterpieces, blending creativity with language learning.
Specialist Teachers
In Miss Molly's sensory session Children played tambourines and rhythm sticks, danced joyfully, and popped bubbles before winding down under calming sensory lights and music—supporting emotional regulation and self-expression.
Sporty Minis
This week’s session featured stretching, running, and racket games that strengthened coordination, focus, and aim. From bouncing balls to hitting targets with Velcro darts, our little athletes had fun while developing key motor skills in a playful, encouraging setting.
Dragon Flights Newsletter
Exploring Africa, Building Skills & Expressing Ourselves
This week, our preschoolers explored African culture through fabric art, deepened their understanding of animal habitats, practiced Mandarin, strengthened motor skills, and engaged in calming mindfulness activities.
Regional Education: African Textiles & Habitats
Children explored traditional African fabrics, discussing their patterns and meanings before creating their own vibrant designs using shapes and color. We revisited Handa’s Surprise, matching animals to environments using textured materials. A fine motor fruit-sorting activity reinforced vocabulary, story recall, and cognitive skills through hands-on learning.
STEM Focus
Children practiced number recognition through subitizing games and wrote numbers with growing independence. They also took on a block-balancing challenge, building problem-solving abilities, focus, and coordination in a fun and collaborative setting.
Mandarin Club: Packing for Jià Qī (Holiday)
In Mandarin, children learned the word for “holiday” (假期 - jià qī) and took part in a creative “packing for a holiday” activity. They chose, cut, and glued travel items onto paper backpacks while using new vocabulary in context. The session supported fine motor development, creativity, and real-world language use
Sporty Minis
In Miss Molly’s Mindfulness session children explored calming breathing techniques and gentle yoga-inspired movement, helping them regulate emotions and connect with their bodies in a peaceful, supportive environment.
Specialist Teachers
Miss Molly introduced gentle yoga poses, stretches, and breathing exercises set to calming music helped children relax and become more aware of their emotions and bodies.
Thank you for another exciting week of learning and growth—see you next time!
Supporting a Cause Close to Our Hearts
Hatching Dragons is proud to support our founder Cenn John, running the Cardiff Marathon this October to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Inspired by the loss of a sibling to congenital heart disease and Down’s syndrome, this fundraiser aims to help children facing life-threatening illnesses.
We would love for our Hatching Dragons community to join us in supporting this cause. Every donation, no matter how small, can help change a child's future.
In case you missed our update last week regarding important changes—including the new fee structure starting 1st September 2025—we kindly ask you to review the details.
Please take a moment to catch up and see how this may affect your family:
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