Page 2 - Spotlight Issue 74

2 Kang Chiao Spotlight Qingshan Campus‧Issue 74/ June 2026

G6 KCIS Book Club
G6 KCIS Book Club
G6 KCIS Book Club
eyond G6 KCIS Book Club
the Book

~ Zachary Warmke
Assistant Director of Curriculum

At Qingshan, we raise prolific readers. Our amazing library provides
thousands of English books. Thanks to tracking software, we know that most
students read dozens of them every month. We teachers are happy that
students choose books they like that also help them improve their reading skills.
While independent reading is an important skill to develop, we also want to
promote collaboration. The final grade 6 project, KCIS Book Club, did just that.
It provided chances for students to read together, share their thoughts, and to
use the language arts skills they have developed over the past six years.

A Shared Read
Every student received their own copy of a popular novel, either Hatchet by Gary
Paulsen or Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. Each week, students read and
discussed several chapters together. At the end of each section, the class discussed the
plot and shared predictions about what might happen next.
Talking about the story with friends made it more engaging, and they were able to
help each other understand more than they would have alone. Students found that
reading a book can be a rewarding group activity.

The Book Club Experience
After reading the book once, students put their language arts skills to good use. For
the first time, they applied skills like “analyze character” and “infer theme” to an entire
novel. At first, students were skeptical, but then they actually started to have fun. Looking
under the surface of the story was like solving a complex riddle.
Students who read Hatchet thought at first that it’s just about a boy lost in a forest.
Then they analyzed the main character’s internal and external conflicts to conclude that
it’s really about how overcoming challenges changes you. Those who read Because of
Winn-Dixie thought it was just a story about a naughty dog. By analyzing the themes,
they realized that it is really about overcoming sadness in life.
Revealing deeper meanings was thrilling. In the United States, a shared reading
experience like this is usually not done until high school or university, but our sixth
graders eagerly analyzed and explained the characters, themes, and plot elements
like experts. In the future, they will more readily analyze the books they read to identify
themes and messages.

A Culmination of Elementary School Life

Last, students developed a writing based on their analysis of the book. Whether they
applied their understanding of the characters to a piece of creative fiction or explained the
themes in a well-structured essay, they created a work using the English skills they have
developed throughout elementary school.

This project was a great conclusion for six years as Qingshan
Campus. They started building the reading skills used in this project all
the way back in first grade. They should be proud of the progress they
have made, just as we are proud of their hard work.
Please have a look at the next page to see some of the final writing
they created. We would also like to congratulate all sixth graders for
graduating. We wish them happiness and success in middle school!

What’s New?
Millionaire Club H
Millionaire Club Hall of Fameall of Fame What’s New?
What’s New?
What’s New?
Level 10 Level 9 Level 8 Level 7 Get ready to stir up some fun before
summer break! For this year's
G3 Marcus Liao 廖勁綸 G5 Jethro Yu 余浩恩 G3 Rex Wang 王宥荃 G2 Esther Hsu 許媛稀 G6 Adrian Janis 陳彥鈞 International Culture Week, the
G6 Kevin Lee 李俊寬 G6 Elly Weng 翁緗庭 G3 Yuli Wu 吳宥澧 G4 Lucien Liu 劉樂騏 G6 Harvey Yen 顏晟安 English Village teachers are hosting
G6 Manson Huang 黃元蔚 G6 Cici Chen 陳畇希 G5 Cayden Sun 孫長麟 G4 Snow Chang 張舒安 G6 Brian Chou 周詩皓 a special tea journey. Come join us to
uncover the rich history behind your
G6 Calliope Chen 陳希 G6 Andy Chen 陳柏安 G6 Andrew Su 蘇植安 G4 Mia Hsu 許晏菥 G6 Jenny Hsin 辛易真 favorite brews, see how tea leaves
G6 Young Lin 林仰宣 G6 Angie Sun 孫安又 G5 Evan Lee 李品成 G6 Anna Yu 游佳芯 are processed, and experience tea
G6 Winnie Cheng 鄭卉妤 G6 Ryan Tsai 蔡辰昊 G5 Chloe Chang 張居穎 G6 Ray Hsu 許宸睿 cultures from across the globe. Let’s
G6 Eva Dehnugara 雷恩慈 G6 Fifi Chen 陳樂菲 G6 Phineas Janis 陳彥霖 explore together!
G6 Amber Chou 周家璽