February Newsletter
Hello!
February is already upon us and whilst many of us live here to enjoy the sunshine and warm climate, winter can still be full of outdoor fun for all the family.
In this edition
Stages Vacances inscriptions OPEN
International Tests – CIV dates
Schools in Finland and what we do in KidooLand
Video link for parents (emotions)
Links for teenagers and children
Article on connecting as a parent
Ideas for enjoying the Cote d’Azur in February.
Have a great month!
SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES
Yes, I know, they’ve only just gone back to school but the children will be on holiday again very soon, from the 26th February until 9th March to be precise.
KidooLand are running holiday workshops, based around the themes Happy Feet and the Environment in the 4* Golden Tulip Hotel , Peter Rabbit and the Great Outdoors, and The Past and Present with Back to the Future. Inscriptions are open StageVacances Holiday Camps BROCHURE
INTERNATIONAL SECTION ENTRANCE EXAMS FOR CIV
Special holiday workshops are available for CM2 children who need help preparing for the upcoming CP Primary college international section entrance exams. Places are limited and competition is hot! .
IMPORTANT DATES The closing date for international section into 6eme registrations is midnight on 12th February!! The entrance exams will be taking place on the 14th and 28th March 2018
KidooLand can help your child prepare with:
holiday workshops
dedicated Saturday classes
“Cocoon Programme”* e-book
*The Cocoon Programme is a set of downloadable lessons (a mix of spelling & vocabulary lists, reading, writing and listening exercises) that you child can work through at home as well as some top tips for preparing for the exams and dealing with exam stress. Answers are of course included for your eyes only!
FOCUS ON… FINLAND
Why Finland I hear you ask? Well, Finland can teach us an awful lot about creating positive learning environments for our children that really work!
Finnish children don’t start school until they’re 7 years old (once they are of an age where they want to learn), school days are shorter and there is no such thing as homework. There is also no standardized testing like we see in the UK and US and instead, emphasis is put on interactive learning methods, where children manipulate objects to learn concepts and playtime is valued by teachers and children alike.
[endif]--Here at KidooLand, we also use interactive learning methods and value play as teaching tool. Whether children are simply learning English vocabulary whilst playing games with their fellow students or doing more hands-on activities like using play-doh to write their names or weighing out ingredients whilst baking cookies. That’s why children who are brought up in or exposed to a bilingual environment from a young age, learn multiple languages so quickly – because those languages are not taught through “lessons,” but simply absorbed naturally whilst the child is busy doing other things, like playing, eating...
Antonia recommends for parents
ONE TO WATCH…. TED Talks - The Case for Emotional Hygiene by Guy Winch
This is a short video about why we as parents, should be prioritising our own psychological health. A fascinating video that I think could give everyone food for rumination!
Antonia recommends for teenagers
“Demain” is a French production with lots of English all about the planet, the environment and how individuals can really help to make a difference to the world around us. My children have watched it twice! DETAILS
SCREEN TIME TIPS
Connect with your child not with your screen. As a parent don’t forget that you need to turn off your phone! Mobile phones have wormed their way into our lives and whilst they are a crucial tool for keeping in touch, many children think and say that their parents’ phone is the most important thing to their parents. So, make a deliberate point about turning off your phone and/or putting it away when your child wants to talk to you. The impact such a simple act will have on your child will be immense and your child will remember for years to come, that you prioritised them over your precious phone!
Your child will want access to technology so make it count.
For teens APPLICATION TESTED: Winston Churchill is in the news. The film “Darkest Hours” is in the cinema and in VO if you want to practise your English. We tested the application game Think Like Churchill. Our teenagers loved it!
For younger children go and see Peter Rabbit LINK then you can come and enjoy the holiday camp at KidooLand!
LOCAL FUN
Carnival is the perfect opportunity for the parents and kids to get dressed up as their favourite characters and, with 17 floats and more than 1000 dancers, Nice Carnival theme is “Le Roi de l'Espace”. 17th Feb – 3 it really is worth a visit!
The annual “Festival International de Jeux” in Cannes really does provide fun for all the family. On from the 23rd to 25th February, the exhibition space is divided up into different sections; video games, role playing games, board games, children’s games, chess & scrabble competitions etc. Check their website before you go as there are lots of “do's and dont's”!
That’s it for this month’s newsletter.
If you have any feedback on what you’ve read, please don’t be afraid to join in the discussions in our Facebook community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/anglaisenfantskidooland/?ref=bookmarks), we would love to hear from you!
All the best,
Antonia Beauvoisin Brown
Managing Director of KidooLand
