Parents joined students and staff of The Bridge International School at South-East Asia Center for an end of the year celebration of the summer and recognition of the Pre-K graduates who will be passing through to kindergarten this fall. The program included musical performances by children at every level. The littlest-ones dressed in adorable star costumes sang “Twinkle-Twinkle,” there was a charming waltz and several songs accompanied on ukulele by some of the older kids. Be sure to watch the video highlights posted below.
This culminating celebration offers a glimpse into the diversity of our program and showcases the new skills students have developed. Most of all, it reflects how joyfully and confidently they have learned to work together. The Bridge International School theme of “Building Bridges” of course refers to building bridges between cultures but in this case also bridging the gap between school semesters.
Our teachers continue to do an exceptional job keeping the summer program lively and fun while maintaining a strong focus on learning. Summer is a critical time when students risk losing academic momentum during long breaks. By encouraging children to think, explore, and stay mentally engaged, our learning‑centered summer program helps ensure they return to school in the fall ready to absorb new information and build on the knowledge they’ve gained.
Socialization and cooperation are equally important outcomes of our program. Summer activities such as navigating field trips around the city and working together on special projects strengthen friendships and help students form new bonds across age groups and cliques that might otherwise be social barriers. Many of these relationships will continue in our after‑school program and in classrooms at Goudy School and other neighborhood schools.