On November 16, 2018 our Year 6 students demonstrated how they ‘Choose Respect’ and how to engage in Service Learning, under ‘Seeds of Hope’, by visiting Chongqing Normal University Children’s Centre. This trip also fits into the Year 6 topic titled ‘Human Rights and Opportunities’ which has just come to an end.

Year 6 prepared for their trip by learning about different Special Educational Needs and how best to support the students with specific learning needs which was facilitated by May Ren, Learning Support Teacher.

The students and staff broke into groups and engaged in an ‘ice-breaker’, before participating in activities with the students of the Centre who had a range of Special Educational Needs, including, but not limited to, Autism, ADHD, Developmental Delay and other physical disabilities. What did our students gain from this experience? It opened the hearts and minds of the students and develop an awareness of differences among people. They developed different forms of intelligence, including interpersonal and emotional intelligence. This is linked to the Global Citizen Learner Profile, including open minded, balanced and caring. The students had great fun playing an ice breaker, other games, bowling, craft making and supporting their new friends. Feedback from the students included ‘really fun’ ‘I can see the differences’ ‘new’ ‘they are cute’ ‘I felt good inside because I was helping them.

International students need an awareness of people with additional needs so they are able to appropriately interact with everyone they will meet in society. Students will now plan for a way to support the students they met.