Blog

Recycling LEGOS

Posted on by Danielle Ulacco

Check out this great article about LEGO’s new recycling program!

“Lego is looking to keep its plastic bricks out of the trash.

The Danish toymaker is testing a way for customers to ship their unwanted bricks back and get them into the hands of other kids.

It said Tuesday that customers in the United States can print out a mailing label on its site, dump their used Lego bricks in a box and ship them free. Lego said the pieces will be cleaned, put into boxes and given to Teach for America, a nonprofit group that will donate them to U.S. classrooms.

Lego said if the test is successful, it may expand the program beyond the United States next year.

The company typically tells its customers to keep their bricks or pass them on to others. But some have asked for another way to donate them, said Tim Brooks, Lego’s vice president of environmental responsibility.

Lego, like other big brands, is looking to please customers worried about discarded plastics’ impact on the environment. Plastics don’t disintegrate but can break down into tiny pieces and be eaten by birds or other wildlife, endangering their health.

The company is also working to find other materials for its colorful bricks. But finding one as durable as plastic has been a challenge, said Brooks. Last year, however, it began making Lego trees and bushes out of sugar cane.

Hasbro, which makes Monopoly and Mr. Potato Head, said it plans to eliminate plastic use in its packaging by 2022. It too has said that finding a material to replace the plastic in its toys has been tricky.”

Click here to recycle your LEGO’s! http://www.givebackbox.com/lego/#xlink

Middle School: Internships

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Being an 8th year student at Fraser Woods is exciting. In fact, I wish I could have the experiences these children are fortunate to have. One such project that is specific to 8th years is to participate in an internship for four-five days with a working adult(s).

The experience has many goals, but a few are to bring awareness to certain types of professions that one may not know much about, observe working environments, observe social and communication interactions in a workplace, and to do some actual work.

The culmination of the internship project includes a daily journal, reflection, and a presentation to the rest of the middle school students about their experiences.

During the week of November 18th, this year’s 8th years had the following internship experiences:

Branded Styles hair salon

Katten, Muchin, Rosenman LLP

Dr. Paul J. Keating, DDS

Westchester County Executive Office

Yale Pediatric Endocrinologist Office

The Exceptional Pet

Trumbull Medical Arts- Pharmacology

St. Vincent DePaul Mission

Synchrony Financial

Milone & MacBroom

This is one of the many unique opportunities our FWM middle school students have before they graduate, and they all had tremendous experiences.

Mrs. Wilson: Tis the Season

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

On November 27th Mrs. Hood’s and Mrs.Wilson’s toddler class came together to read The Thankful Book by Todd Parr. The children were then invited to sit together at the table and enjoy the bread each class made. The event ended with our favorite activity and all the toddlers joined Mrs. Hood and me in a fun dance party! I am so thankful for the wonderful toddler team and all the toddlers that bring us so much joy!

This week the children entered into the environment with lots of new and exciting lessons on the shelf. On the refinement of the hand shelves, the children have many lessons to choose from that represent the holiday season. From a mini tree to hang ornaments on to a wooden Menorah that they can put candles into. The children also enjoyed shaking jingle bells while dancing to Jingle Bell Rock.

Our food tasting activity was presented a little differently this week. The children had a lesson on how to peel a clementine. After each child tasted the clementines, this lesson was stationed at a table for them to peel and enjoy with a little assistance.

Enjoy!
Mrs. Wilson, Sara, and Heather

Mrs. Doyle’s Class: A Season For Gratitude

Posted on by Michelle Handibode

The education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing him for school, but for life.  –Maria Montessori

For many, the holiday season is a time for giving. Perhaps more than ever, it is so important for our children to understand that giving does not have to be a materialistic gift. Simple and heartfelt words of love and friendship will last much longer than most anything that can be bought on a shelf. It can be an amazing and powerful gift to our children, if in all the hustle and bustle of the holidays we take time to slow down and model being grateful.

It was the perfect week to talk about St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was a Bishop who inherited a lot of money from his family. He was also a very gentle, kind man who lived by the virtues of personal generosity, charity towards those in need, and taking care of the young and the most vulnerable. We learned that  St. Nicholas loved to perform random acts of kindness for those in need. Many people around the world celebrate St. Nicholas Day by leaving a pair of boots outside their door. So, we left boots outside our classroom door and, to our amazement, the boots were beautifully decorated and filled with candy canes the next morning.

This week we asked each child to share what they are grateful for. While their messages will make you smile and warm your heart, there is beauty in their simplicity.

Beau–I’m thankful for farms because they give us food.

Blake–I’m thankful for trucks because they are so funny and make everyone laugh.

Cora–I’m thankful for the sun because it shines on my face.

Eli–I’m thankful for my friends, my family and my pets because my pets are really, really cute and I really love my family.

Ellia–I’m thankful for my mom, my dad, and my sister because I love them.

Elliot–I’m thankful for my brother because he likes to play in the snow with me.

Everly–My mommy and my daddy because I love them so much.

Gianni--I’m thankful for the Earth because all of my friends live there.

Gregory–I’m thankful for my teachers and friends at school.

Grace–I’m thankful for the trees because they give us oxygen.

Harper–St. Nicholas because he brings us presents and candy.

Lily–I’m thankful for my mom and my sister, cute little Annie, and my dog Peanut.  I’m really thankful my daddy fixed my dishwasher.

Luca C.–I’m thankful for my mom because she loves me a whole lot.

Luca F.—I’m thankful for my friends and my family because I love them all.

Mia–I’m thankful for my cat because I love him.

Michael--I’m thankful for my dog because he is nice to me.

Mya–I’m thankful for flowers because they are so beautiful.

Nina–I’m thankful for the snow because it is so nice.

Parker–I’m thankful for the whales in the ocean because they teach people to be happy.

Quin–I’m thankful for the snow that falls because my mom and dad love when it snows.

Simrin–I’m thankful for my sister because she is cute and plays with me.  Sometimes she puts small things in her mouth too!

Wilder–I’m thankful for being happy and loving my mom.

Xander–I’m thankful for Dante because he plays with me all the time.

Miss Jeanine and I are grateful for our relationship with each of you as well as your support, time and effort to help in any way. We are all truly blessed to walk this journey together!

Wishing you a warm and wonderful week!

Michelle & Jeannine

Upper Elementary: First Snow

Posted on by Brian Comstock

One of the things I love about our school is the opportunity to spend a great deal of time outdoors. There are so many positive benefits for children from spending time in nature and being active outside. We begin our day outdoors, which the students look forward to, and if weather permits we get outside for recess every day, even in the snow! In the classroom we are wrapping up our reading and writing workshops in preparation to begin new units in January.

Sportsmanship and Floor Hockey

Posted on by Pam Pascarella

 

In Physical Education class, students in elementary though middle school played warm-up and cool down games connected to social and emotional learning. Social and emotional learning is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.  In PE class, students sometimes become competitive with their peers so it is important that they understand how to maintain a positive attitude, whether they win or lose it’s just a game. I asked them the next time they play a game with friends whether it is in PE or at recess, to ask themselves the following questions. Was I fun to play with?  Was I fun to play against? Did I share the ball? Did I encourage my teammates when they made a mistake or did I make fun of them? Did I quit because our team was losing? Was I respectful and played fair? Win or lose, in the end it’s just a game. We always end a group game by saying good game to the other team but sportsmanship is more than just high fiving the opponents. During the warm-up and cool down games, students were encouraged to partner up with someone they wouldn’t normally pick as a partner.

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade started a floor hockey unit this month. The floor hockey skills of dribbling, passing, and shooting were introduced. To practice dribbling, we engage in activities called Walk Your Dog, Dribble Knockout, Dribble Relay, Keepaway, Knock the Pin, Steal the Bacon, and Sideline Hockey. We practice these hockey skills in order to help students develop hand-eye coordination, agility, balance, and group cooperation. At the end of each class, students participated in sideline hockey. Sideline hockey is a game where only two students from each team come out to the court while the rest of their teammates are on the sideline and can help make passes.  Small sided games allows for students to be more actively participating in team games.

Mrs. Carroll’s Class: Random Acts of Kindness

Posted on by Cindy Carroll

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” -Scott Adams

This week the children enjoyed celebrating Saint Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas is known for his generosity to those in need as well as his love for children. The most important lesson from the legend of St. Nicholas is his generosity. To help us all remember this, your children made it a point to do random acts of kindness. The class brainstormed creative ways to help those in need in our homes, classrooms and local communities. They were delighted to set about  “secret” missions to bring some joy to others and were thrilled to find a boot full of candy canes from St. Nicholas himself at week’s end.

A smile, kind word, or honest compliment can transform a bad day into one that will be remembered. Brighten someone’s day with a smile!Image result for google image sun

Warm thoughts,

Cindy & Sharlene

Mrs. Lopes’s Class: Let It Snow!

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

It was so nice to have all the children back in the classroom this week after our extended Thanksgiving break. With the holidays approaching and the start of a new month, the children came back into an environment full of new lessons and materials to explore. This month we will be learning about the continent of Antarctica and discussing the various holidays celebrated around the world in December.  One such holiday we talked about this week is St. Nicholas Day, which is celebrated on December 6.  St. Nicholas was a bishop in Europe. He was born into a wealthy family and at a young age made the choice to give away all his possessions to those with none. He is known for his kindness, generosity, and taking care of the young and in need. We learned that St. Nicholas would leave small gifts or treats during the night for the less fortunate in his community. St. Nicholas has evolved over the years into the Santa Claus we recognize today. Many people around the world celebrate St. Nicholas day by leaving a pair of boots outside their door. So, of course we decided to leave a pair of boots outside our classroom door. To our surprise, the boots were decorated and filled with candy canes the next morning!

I’ve also included some pictures of our bread baking and Thanksgiving activities from last week since there was no blog post.  Thank you Vanessa and Natalia for volunteering to help the children bake the bread!  The children were so excited to share our bread at the “Bread Sharing Ceremony” with the school the next day. We are looking forward to making latkes in celebration of Hanukkah next week!

Best,

Amanda and Deanna