With the season's warmth in the air, we once again welcome students eager with dreams and curiosity. The holiday assignments serve as a bridge, linking the long break with the return to school. They not only challenge students' intellect but also reflect their approach to learning. At this stage, each student shines their way, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, displaying their unique talents and creativity. Their energy and wit come to life in their work.

First-grade students surveyed people's preferences for traditional Chinese New Year activities, delving into the charm and cultural significance of these customs. They selected festive activities as the focus of their research: reunion dinners, red envelopes, setting off fireworks, watching the Spring Festival Gala, making dumplings, and so on. Through interviews with family members, friends, and neighbors, they gained detailed insights into people's fondness for these traditions and the stories behind them. During the research process, the students applied the counting tools they had learned to quantify the popularity of each activity and organized the data for analysis. After completing the survey, they used their findings to design and create creative posters, using clear charts to visually present the popularity of various Chinese New Year activities. Additionally, they incorporated their understanding and memories of these traditions into their posters—the warmth of family reunions, the joy of receiving red envelopes, and the brilliance of fireworks were vividly brought to life through thoughtful color choices and layout designs. This experience not only enhanced the students' data collection and analysis skills but also allowed them to deeply appreciate the richness and cultural significance of Chinese New Year traditions through hands-on practice, fostering a stronger sense of identity and love for traditional culture.

The second-grade students have transformed into creative little experts and time management pros. From naturally waking up in the first rays of sunlight in the morning to playing with friends in the afternoon, and finally drifting into a sweet dream at night while reading a storybook, the kids used a variety of colors to mark every time slot of their unique day during the holiday on their clocks. What was once a plain clock face instantly turned into a vibrant work of art, with each splash of color capturing a moment of their one-of-a-kind day. Many students also let their imaginations run wild, adding creative decorations to their clocks. Lively dancing figures, focused moments of doing homework, and  cozy scenes of watching TV were all cleverly incorporated. After finishing their clock creations, the students faced a little challenge: thinking through and answering the question, "Did you use your time efficiently today?" Through this process, they learned how to manage their time wisely and began to reflect on their daily lives. This special assignment not only deepened their understanding of the 24-hour system but also significantly enhanced their planning abilities and capacity for self-reflection.

Oh, why are the third-grade children playing games at the winter vacation homework exchange and exhibition event? It turns out that their winter vacation project was to create a set of "Math Monopoly" games. Look! The game board is filled with mathematical elements, which enable the young players to exercise their minds and compete in challenges such as mixed operations, fun life problems, comparing sizes, and using fractions. In addition, the children cleverly designed props such as "Chance Cards," "Challenge Cards," and multi-denominator tokens, allowing players to earn virtual coins by solving problems, which they can then use to buy houses and stocks, striving to become the "Monopoly" tycoon. As the dice roll and land, they sometimes create a tense atmosphere, and other times bring laughter and joy. Through the game, the children not only review and consolidate their mathematical knowledge but also enhance their expression and cooperation skills. We are looking forward to them having such a fulfilling new semester!

The fourth-grade students are learning through play and playing through learning, fully immersed in their activities. From solving multiplication word problems to reviewing factors and multiples, analyzing data with line graphs, and playing a Coin Flip probability game—each step is full of the joy of exploring and applying math. But that’s not all. They’ve also stepped into the role of holiday planners, choosing flights, hotels, meals, and fun activities for their dream vacation destination. In this process, students not only apply math to calculate costs and create budgets but also learn how to weigh the pros and cons to make the best decisions. This task has given them a hands-on experience of math's practical value and helped develop their independent thinking and problem-solving abilities.

The fifth-grade students have truly shone in their assignments, cleverly integrating math into their dream amusement park designs. Using probability concepts, they’ve skillfully planned strategies to supply their parks with balloons, roller coasters, and sweet treats. Through data analysis, they have precisely calculated the wait times for various attractions and optimized their schedules accordingly. By creating charts, they have illustrated the park’s ticket sales, visitor age distribution, and the winning probabilities for different games—all to maximize visitor satisfaction.

The creativity and effort of these students have rippled through the ocean of knowledge. The little details in their holiday homework reflect a snapshot of their holiday experiences. As winter fades and spring arrives, bringing new life, these students have not only learned to combine theory with practice but have also grasped the importance of creative thinking. With the new semester’s sunlight filling the campus, they are stepping forward with renewed enthusiasm and broader perspectives, ready to embark on a new learning journey. At SHSID, every child is a unique seed, waiting for the spring breeze to nurture them and help them bloom into their brilliant flower.

Written by Zhou Jie, Yu Lin, Yixin He, Yuanjing Zhang

Pictures by Siying Li, G1- G3 Homeroom Teachers, G4-5 Math Group

Reviewed byLuting Lu, Yi Zhang,  Xumei Ge, Chenli Shen, Cong Luo, Chad Higgenbottom