Blog

Performing Arts!

Posted on by mkirk

Students continue to do amazing things in performing arts! These last few weeks have been full of rehearsals, performances, and most importantly, joy!

Primary students continue to do amazing work in class. They really enjoy working on their acting skills with a game called emotional statues! They are doing excellent work on their new songs for our spring concert which is next week! I am so proud of all the growth in musicianship and confidence in these young musicians!

LE had a spectacular Mini Musical performance during our Special Friends/Grandparents Day! The students also had a chance to show their final dress rehearsal to the school community! I could not be more proud of the hard work each of these students put into their show! LE has also been working on their music for our upcoming spring concert. They are so excited to share all they have learned!

UE and MS had an amazing few weeks as well! They put their hearts and souls into the final rehearsals and show, Finding Nemo Jr.  Each and every student beamed on the stage. The confidence and sense of pride these students now have from putting on this full-scale show is something they will never forget! These students are also working very hard to show you even more new music at our spring concert! Bravo to all!

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

On Monday, the Kindergarten children spent time at Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury. We took a short hike through the woods to the Botany Pond. The children then had the opportunity to catch and identify amphibians, reptiles, and insects. We found tadpoles, beetles, newts, giant water bugs, leeches and salamanders. We observed turtles resting on a rock and fish swimming but this year we searched in vain for those elusive frogs. When we were done, we released any living thing we had collected back to the pond. We also climbed aboard a tractor for a leisurely ride. We were able to catch a peek of a beaver lodge and observe a hawk flying back and forth to its nest.  It was informative and impressive to speak with a Flanders volunteer, who explained how and why the beavers dam up a culvert each night. Walking back, several children shared what a great day it was! Flanders is open to the public, and we encourage you to take advantage of this amazingly beautiful nature center.

In the classroom, we have caterpillars which we have been observing all week. Today, one has formed a chrysalis! Our young scientists are eager to see what will happen next.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week, Christine & Hailey

Ms. Mollie: A Hopping Good Week!

Posted on by Mollie Smith

We definitely hopped into a good time this week! Our daily adventures around the Fraser Woods campus always give us a deep appreciation for nature and for its incredible creatures! We had the joy of seeing a Copes Tree Frog…..also known as “peepers” up close! The children were very curious about the frog’s sticky toes and why it was not green!! We read many books explaining camouflage in animals! Next week, the children are in for a wonderful surprise!!! We will have tadpoles in our classroom, which will help us to understand and see the life cycle of a frog up close!

The week has been amazing, full of great work, lots of learning, fun food tasting and baking, and most importantly, the celebration of a birthday in the classroom!

With Full Hearts,

Ms.Mollie, Ms.Lizette and Ms.Anabelle

Mrs. Wilson: Metamorphosis

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

This week, we received our live caterpillars! The children have been observing them each day as they eat and grow bigger and bigger. We’re learning about the life cycle of a butterfly and introducing vocabulary such as egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and metamorphosis. It’s especially fun to hear the children confidently say “metamorphosis”! We’ve also been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle—my favorite book from childhood—which adds a special touch to our exploration and helps bring the life cycle to life in a fun, familiar way.

On Tuesday, a special guest came in to read. Thank you to Taya’s mom for reading to the children. They sure did love seeing all the ocean animals!

This week’s food tasting was corn on the cob—a new item for our tasting experience! The children explored the different textures of the corn, from the husk and silk to the kernels themselves. It was fun to show them how to shuck the corn, and we even counted together as we removed each layer of husk—there were thirteen pieces on this particular cob! After our exploration, each child had the chance to taste their own piece of corn on the cob. Most of them enjoyed it!

Love and Light,

Cynthia and Sara

Middle School: Expert Presentations & Garden Party

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

Announcements & Upcoming Events:

  • Fri., 5/23 @ 5pm: Spring Concert & Picnic
  • Tues., 5/27-Fri., 5/30: MS Trip (Click Here For Details on Trip, Packing List, & Balance)
  • Week of 6/2: Spirit Week 
  • Wed., 6/4 @ 5pm: Farewell to the Class of 2025 An event hosted by 6th and 7th grade students to honor their graduating classmates. Please plan on attending with your student(s)
  • Thurs., 6/5 @ 5pm: 8th Grade Graduation For 8th grade families and friends at the Newtown Meetinghouse
  • Fri., 6/6: Last Day of School/Dismissal @ 11:30 am

It was a special week for Middle School students, and they had feelings that the year was coming to a close.

First, 8th-grade graduates presented their Expert Project Presentations. The depth of their research, passion for their topics, and bravery in speaking to their audience were certainly impressive. Students spoke for 15-20 minutes about the following topics:

  • From Boneshakers to Mountain Bikes: The Evolution and Impact of the Bicycle
  • The Troubles in Northern Ireland: A Conflict of Identity, Politics, and History
  • Inside the Consumer Mind:  The Psychology Behind Advertising
  • The Use of 3D Printing in Today’s Modern World
  • The Manhattan Project: Building the Atomic Age
  • Leveling Up: The Evolution of Video Games
  • Fishing: Economics, Impact, and the Environment
  • Adventure Aesthetics

Thank you to all the middle school students and families who came to support their peers as they achieved this accomplishment.

Next, it was a fantastic end to the week with the Middle School Garden Party. This fun social event, organized by the 8th-grade Leadership class, had students dressing up, dancing, and playing games. The crowd was lively and on their feet for just about the entire party. Thank you to the parents for contributing to the snacks and treats. A special thank you to the class parents for decorating!

Only a few more weeks remain, and they will be packed with memories as we close the school year.

This Week in Upper El

Posted on by Karen Sankey

Upcoming important dates:

  • Friday, May 23 at 5:00: Spring Concert
  • Tuesday, May 27 – Thursday, May 29: Upper El trip to Nature’s Classroom
  • Monday, June 2: Field Day
  • Friday, June 6: Moving Up Ceremony and Last Day of School

The past week has been quite busy with a mix of math lessons and hands-on activities. We’ve been working hard on comprehension, spelling, and even fine-tuning our editing skills, specifically focusing on commas and capitalization. Plus, we wrapped up our final Novel Study meeting of the year, which was a great way to reflect on what we’ve read together. Our book, Fish in a Tree, provided many opportunities for great discussion and reflection. I was so impressed with how brave and willing many students were to share their own challenges during our conversations about the book.

I’m really impressed with how motivated the upper elementary students are! They’re diving into their lessons and pushing themselves to learn more as we approach the end of the school year.

We are looking forward to our upcoming trip to Nature’s Classroom in just over a week! If anyone needs another copy of the Packing List or has any questions about the trip, just let me know. I’ll be sharing pictures and updates through our WhatsApp chat group while we’re away. If you haven’t joined yet and need the invite again, just give me a shout!

Kicking Off Our Poetry Unit in Lower Elementary

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

Recently, we’ve launched our poetry unit, and the classroom is already buzzing with creativity! To ease into the world of verse, we began with “-ing” poems—a playful and accessible way for students to explore action, emotion, and imagery. These poems help students focus on verbs and vivid language, all while tapping into their own experiences and observations.

After experimenting with “-ing” lines like dancing, swirling, dreaming, we introduced similes—comparisons that bring writing to life by showing how one thing is like another. Students practiced using “like” and “as” to add depth to their poems, trying lines like floating like a feather or as loud as a thunderclap.

It’s been a joyful and imaginative start, and we’re excited to see where our poetic journey takes us next!

Ms. Marissa: Weekly Update

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

During the month of May, we’ve embarked on a magical journey into the world of pollinators and insects. The highlight? Witnessing the awe-inspiring transformation of caterpillars into butterflies—a real-life lesson in metamorphosis that has captivated every child.

Each day, the children observe our classroom caterpillars with quiet curiosity, noting changes in their size, movement, and habits.

Metamorphosis offers more than a science lesson—it invites reflection on patience, change, and the beauty of nature’s rhythms. Through this process, our young learners are not just discovering biology—they’re developing empathy, observation skills, and deep respect for living things.

We can’t wait to release our butterflies into our flower garden in the next few weeks, adding a meaningful moment to our study of pollinators and their role in the ecosystem. What a beautiful way to learn and grow together!

We hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. We really enjoyed creating the children’s Mother’s Day surprises for you – each one is more precious than the last!

Marissa & Sue