Blog

Mrs. Wilson: Pancake and Pajamas

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

This week was filled with excitement and joyful celebrations. We began by celebrating our truly wonderful Ms. Sara. Ms. Sara is such a special part of our classroom community. She shows the children immense love and care every day, treating each child with patience, kindness, and respect. Her calm and nurturing presence helps create a warm, safe environment where the children feel valued and supported. The children were so proud to celebrate her birthday by showering her with beautiful handmade cards and a lovely bouquet of assorted flowers.

We were also able to venture outdoors a few days this week. Mornings were spent getting everyone into their snow gear and practicing important self-care skills, such as putting on snow pants and snowsuits. It certainly takes a lot of work and patience, but by the end of the week, we could already see how much easier it had become for the children—such wonderful progress!

To end the week, we celebrated the holidays in our cozy pajamas. The children enjoyed a special pancake breakfast featuring latkes, applesauce, and berries, accompanied by homemade whipped cream and warm hot chocolate. After breakfast, we gathered together to enjoy a few holiday stories, ending our time together with their favorite activity, dancing to jingle bells while playing the bell instruments. 

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who showered Ms. Sara with love on her birthday, as well as for the thoughtful holiday gifts we received. We are also incredibly grateful to the families who donated pancake and hot cocoa items and to our parent volunteers who helped make this celebration so special.

Wishing everyone a magical holiday break filled with love, warmth, and happiness.

With love and light,
 Cynthia and Sara

Middle School: Exciting Week in Review

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

The middle school had a busy and festive week filled with creativity, teamwork, and lots of fun!

We kicked things off with hallway decorating, and the results were pretty sweet. Working together, students transformed the hallway into a whimsical gingerbread house, complete with candy-inspired details and wintery touches. Every part of the hallway showed off their imagination and teamwork.

After all that effort, the middle school came together for a holiday party to relax, celebrate, and enjoy time with one another.

One of the highlights of the week was our Secret Snowflake gift exchange. Organized by the students, it brought lots of excitement, laughter, and smiles as gifts were exchanged and Secret Snowflakes were revealed. It was a perfect way to spend our last full day before break.

The week wrapped up with the Winter Showcase, where students shared their talents in so many ways. They wrote and presented original poetry, displayed their artwork in the art show, and spent weeks rehearsing for the winter concert. It was amazing to see their confidence grow and their hard work pay off.

The 8th grade also held their Fraser WoodShop pop-up sale, selling ornaments, cutting boards, magnets, and seed bombs. All profits are being donated to the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary here in Newtown, CT.

As we head into winter break, we’re so thankful for the energy and positivity our middle school students bring each day. It’s been a fun and memorable year so far, and we wish everyone a happy and restful holiday break!

See you in 2026!

A Week of Light, Giving, and Community in Lower El

Posted on by Carlie Taveras

This week, our classroom was filled with warmth, connection, and meaningful moments that truly reflect the heart of our community.

We were so thrilled to welcome Maayan’s mom for a beautiful and engaging presentation on Hanukkah. She shared a thoughtfully prepared slideshow and showed the children the lighting of the candles. The experience was made even more special with homemade festive treats lovingly shared and plenty of joy as the children learned how to play dreidel together. It was such a wonderful time that brought tradition, history, and celebration to life for the children.

In the spirit of giving, the children decorated ornaments and created heartfelt cards for residents of a local nursing home. As a class, we talked about the human gifts we all carry, hearts that can love, hands that can help, and the ability to wish well for others, even for people we may never meet. This work allowed the children to put those ideas into action, transforming abstract values into meaningful experiences filled with purpose and compassion.

It was also so wonderful to see everyone come together at the Winter Celebration. The children did an incredible job performing, and we were absolutely overjoyed watching them shine. We are so proud of each and every one of them and feel incredibly grateful that they are all part of our incredible Lower Elementary community.

We are truly so grateful for the incredibly thoughtful and generous gifts, beautiful holiday cards, and heartfelt messages of gratitude we received. Our hearts are so full, thank you. Your kindness and support mean more than words can express.

All 31 of your children are such an important part of our beautiful classroom community, and we are deeply thankful for the opportunity to guide them as they learn and grow. We hope you have happy and healthy holidays and enjoy the precious gift of family time over winter break. We look forward to seeing everyone in the new year.

This Week in Upper El

Posted on by Karen Sankey

What a joyful week we’ve had, full of preparation, anticipation, and celebration!

We wrapped up our lessons for the session and had our final Literature Circle before heading off on our two-week break, finishing up our assignments together. We baked four delicious loaves of banana and zucchini bread (with chocolate chips, of course!) for our December birthday breakfast on Wednesday, chosen by our birthday honorees. We worked hard to transform the Upper El/Middle School hallway into a gingerbread house, which our adorable toddlers and primary students especially enjoyed. We even found time for sledding, snowball fights, and building snowmen—all while getting ready for the Winter Showcase.

On Thursday, we celebrated with our holiday party in our PJs, exchanged “Secret Holiday Pudding” gifts, and watched Annie on the Promethean Board. To top it all off, our amazing students, led by the equally amazing Megan Kirk, delivered a stunning, emotional performance on Friday to send us off into winter break.

Thank you so much for the yummy treats you sent in for our party and for the thoughtful gifts you gave to Sara and me. I wish you a beautiful holiday season filled with love and peace!

See you in 2026!

Ms. Vicki’s Weekly update

Posted on by Vicki Downs

This week, our classroom was full of energy, movement, and joy! We made it a priority to get outside as much as possible, and when the weather didn’t cooperate, we happily used the gym to help everyone get their wiggles out.

In the gym and outdoors, the children enjoyed riding cars, jumping, climbing, and practicing throwing and kicking balls. These activities help build balance, coordination, and confidence while giving everyone a chance to move their bodies in fun and healthy ways.

Inside the classroom, we spent time reading books about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. The children loved listening to the stories, looking at the pictures, and learning that families celebrate in different ways.

We also enjoyed plenty of calm, focused activities throughout the week. The children painted, completed puzzles, built tall towers, and explored many other classroom materials. It was wonderful to see their creativity, concentration, and teamwork as they played and learned together.

It was a busy and exciting week filled with movement, learning, and creativity. Enjoy the pictures!

Reminders:

  • Thursday the 18th is pajamas and pancakes.
  • Friday the 19th is the Winter Showcase at 10:30. Toddlers do not participate in the show but we do attend. If you would like your child to sit with you please let me know. If you would like them to stay with the class, please stay out of sight so they aren’t upset during the concert. Dismissal is at 11:15.

Ms. Rhodora: Practical Skills and Winter Wonders

Posted on by Rhodora Santayana

Last week, the children engaged deeply with new practical life activities designed to refine their movements and build concentration. The food preparation area continues to be a hub of activity, where children practice real-life skills with purpose and care. We introduced soap grating, where children carefully grate bars of soap into flakes, and suds whipping, where they transform those flakes into fluffy whipped soap. These activities not only develop fine motor control but also provide a sensory-rich experience that children find deeply satisfying.

The metal insets remain popular, allowing children to practice precise hand movements while creating beautiful geometric designs. Mirror polishing has also captured the children’s attention—they take great pride in seeing their reflections become clearer as they work. Eggshell pounding offers another way for children to refine their hand-eye coordination while experiencing the transformation of materials.

Understanding Animals in Winter

Alongside our practical life work, we have been studying how animals survive winter through hibernation, migration, and adaptation. This study connects beautifully to the seasonal changes the children observe outside our windows each day, making their learning immediate and relevant to their own experiences.

Extending Learning at Home

  • Invite your child to help with real kitchen tasks like grating cheese or whipping cream
  • Practice polishing skills at home with child-safe cleaners on mirrors, silverware, or shoes
  • Notice together how the winter weather affects the animals and plants in your neighborhood

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS
This Week
Monday, December 15: Classroom Hanukkah Celebration
Thursday, December 18: Classroom Christmas Celebration
Friday, December 19: Winter Showcase* (Buses begin at 9:15 a.m., Concert begins 10:30am), Half-Day Dismissal for All Students 11:30am
* All Primary children participate in the Winter Showcase. Please check the dashboard for more information.

Winter Break
Monday, December 22, 2025 – Friday, January 2, 2026
School resumes on Monday, January 5, 2026

Mrs. Lopes: Learning How Our Bodies Work

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

Last week, the classroom was filled with curiosity as we continued our study of the human body. The children explored the fascinating functions of our organs and how each one plays a vital role in keeping us healthy and strong. We introduced a new body apron work where the children carefully matched each organ to its proper place on the body. This hands-on material allowed them to visualize where organs like the heart, lungs, and stomach are located while learning what each one does.

Our exploration naturally extended into discussions about nutrition and wellness. The children examined different food groups and engaged in thoughtful conversations about which foods help our bodies grow strong and which ones we should enjoy in moderation. They were particularly interested in making connections between the foods they eat and how those foods support the organs we’ve been studying.

Extending Learning at Home

  • Look at food labels together at the grocery store and talk about what makes food healthy
  • Create a simple drawing of the body and have your child place different colored stickers where they think organs might be located
  • During meals, discuss which foods help different parts of our body (carrots for eyes, milk for bones, etc.)

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING EVENTS
This Week
Tuesday, December 16: Classroom Hanukkah book reading 9:30 a.m.-Carina A., Hanukkah snack of latkes and applesauce provided by Katie R.
Thursday, December 18: Classroom Twas’ the Night Before Christmas book reading 9:30 a.m.-Courtney M.
Friday, December 19: Winter Showcase* (Buses begin at 9:15 a.m., Concert begins 10:30am), Half-Day Dismissal for All Students 11:30am
* All Primary children participate in the Winter Showcase. Please check the dashboard for more information.

Winter Break
Monday, December 22, 2025 – Friday, January 2, 2026
School resumes on Monday, January 5, 2026