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Mrs. Lopes: Are You Ready For Summer?

Posted on by Amanda Lopes

We asked the children what they loved about summer and /or what their plans were for this summer.  We hope you enjoy their answers as much as we did!

  • Amelia – Hopes to go swimming in the pool with her Mommy this summer.
  • Annie – Hopes to take a trip to the beach to look for shells.
  • Arian – Is hoping to go to the beach and launch rockets.
  • Ben – Plans to plant flowers and make a garden.
  • Brisa – Is planning to play in the sprinkler and go to Florida.
  • Casey – Plans to spend time in Long Island playing with his toys and swimming in the ocean.
  • Daniel – Hopes he will go to the beach and play in the sand.
  • David – Plans to go to the beach so he can roll in the sand and go swimming in the ocean.
  • Elanour – Plans to go swimming in her pool this summer.
  • Elizabeth – Plans to go to her Nanny and Poppy’s to play Lego and Magnatiles.
  • Enzo – Has a lot of plans this summer.  He is going to the Connecticut beach, Quassy, and is looking forward to going down the slide on his boat.
  • Evie – Hopes to spend a lot of time sliding on her rainbow cloud sprinkler.
  • Fiona – Plans to go to the beach and make sand castles and sand angels.
  • Harlan – Is excited to play Ninjago on his iPad during the summer.
  • Kian – Plans to take swimming lessons over the summer so he can learn how to swim in his pool or Enzo’s pool.
  • Kimberlin – Is excited to go to Texas in June and spend time swimming in the pool with G-mom and Daddio.
  • Levi – Is excited to go camping at Lake George, Hershey Park, and Stafford Motor Speedway this summer.
  • Nicolas – Plans to play with his toys in the pool this summer.
  • Noelle – Plans to spend a lot of time swimming in her pool this summer.
  • Parker – Plans to go bug hunting for a golden beetle.  She has seen them before, and they are really slippery.
  • Ryder – Is hoping to play with his water fire truck because it needs to be summer to use it.

Wishing you a week filled with peace and love!

Amanda & Hema

Cherished Friendships and Memories in LE

Posted on by Ashley O'Connell

It’s incredible to think that we’re already here in June, with only a week left of school left! Even as the year draws to a close, the children’s enthusiasm for learning remains as strong as ever.

As I reflect on each child’s progress throughout the year, I am filled with pride and joy. They have not only grown physically but have also shown significant academic and social development. Witnessing their curiosity and determination, their laughter and friendships, warms my heart daily.

I am so pleased to see what a compassionate, kind-hearted, and unique group of students we have in the classroom. Each child’s individual journey has contributed to creating a vibrant, supportive community where everyone thrives. Their growth and achievements this year have been truly remarkable, and I am excited to see how they will continue to flourish in the future.

Mrs. Sargeant: A Peek at the Week

Posted on by Christine Sargeant

As we conclude the school year with our toddlers, we reflect on the joy and liveliness they have brought to every moment. Observing the emergence of four painted lady butterflies from their chrysalises, we were reminded of the incredible process of metamorphosis. This transformation beautifully mirrors the growth of our young students. Just as a butterfly spreads its wings for the first time, our toddlers are beginning to explore their world with newfound confidence and curiosity.

A visit from a squirrel to our bird feeder delighted our young students, who expressed their excitement with joyful squeals. Additionally, we enjoyed a food-tasting experience featuring sweet, juicy watermelon, which was a delightful treat for everyone.

Wishing your families an enjoyable week,

Christine & Lizette

Ms. Marissa: Moving on Up!

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

With the school year winding down, we have been reflecting on our past year. A new teacher, a new classroom for some, new friends, exciting work, responsibilities, and routines. We are feeling emotional about saying goodbye to our Kindergarten friends who are all moving up to Lower Elementary! They have been such wonderful role models in our classroom, always there to help teach a lesson, show a friend something, help each other out, and lead our classroom! How much we’ve all grown!

We have also talked about our second-year children moving up to Kindergarten and how we will welcome new three-year-olds into our classroom next year. So many exciting things in our future!

We have been talking about the United States and where we are in this big, wide universe! We look at the Solar System, our planet, our continent, our country, our state, our town, and finally, ourselves!

Have a lovely weekend,

Marissa & Sue

Ms. Marissa: Fun at Flanders

Posted on by Marissa Frisk

On Wednesday, the Kindergarten children spent time at Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury. We began by taking a 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, and salamanders. We observed turtles resting on a rock, fish swimming, and even found one of those elusive frogs. When we were done, we released any living thing we had collected and climbed aboard for a tractor ride. We were able to get up close to a beaver lodge and get a peek at a nest with three-day-old baby birds. 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. They also offer several summer programs. You can find more information on their website.

Wishing you all a week filled with much peace and love.

Marissa & Sue

This Week in Upper El

Posted on by Karen Sankey

As the year winds down and lessons wrap up, we have many end-of-year activities. This week, we squeezed in many math lessons during work cycles, prepared for the Spring Concert, and planned for next week’s trip to Nature’s Classroom.

As your children pack for our trip, please remember that they will have to carry their bags to the cabin. We went over the packing list together in class and talked about packing light. Nature’s Classroom does not allow electronics, including eBook readers, phones, smartwatches, and tablets. I will allow any children who would like to call and say goodnight to use my phone. We cannot bring food into the dorm, so please don’t pack any snacks in the suitcase. I have created a What’s App group chat for communication during the trip. I’ll send photos as often as possible and update you throughout the week.

NECESSITIES

  • water bottle
  • small backpack (to carry to all activities)
  • sleeping bag or sheets and a blanket, pillow
  • toiletries (soap, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, towel, comb)
  • pajamas
  • underwear
  • socks (6 pair)
  • pants for hiking and activities
  • short sleeve shirts
  • a long sleeve shirt
  • warm outer layer
  • closed-toe shoes (2 pair)
  • poncho
  • sunblock and insect repellent (no aerosols)

OPTIONAL

  • hat, sunglasses
  • flip flops or shower shoes
  • shorts for the cabin
  • book, notebook, pencils, deck of cards
  • disposable camera

 

Middle School: Expert Presentations

Posted on by Michelle Lamb

 

It was a wonderful evening listening to the graduating class of 2024 present their research project to families and students in our community. The topics were as follows:

Black Women Poets Whose Colorful Words Helped Change the World
3, 2, 1 Action! How To Form a Film
Cybersecurity: How to Keep Your Information Private
The Distance From the Tee: The History of Golf
Ideas That Bloom: Successful Steps for Entrepreneurs
This project is a culmination of five months of research on a topic of the students’ choosing. They develop a thesis statement and questions to guide research and interview at least two experts in the field to support their research. Next, students write a research paper. Finally, they develop their 10-20 minute presentations from the research.
Students at Fraser Woods begin presenting as Kindergarteners. They practice reading their work to classmates and teachers. Each year, FWM students have opportunities to present their work, both formally and informally. The 8th grade Expert Project is the culmination of this progression.
We are incredibly proud of our 8th-grade class and all the work they did leading up to Expert Presentations. Bravo!

Mrs. Wilson: The Gazillion Whys

Posted on by Cynthia Wilson

In the first three years of their lives, children are in the Unconscious Mind phase, where they absorb information without actively questioning it. From age three to six, they transition into the conscious mind phase, marked by their curiosity and constant questioning of “why.” They are eager to make sense of the world around them and are actively engaging their thinking and reasoning abilities.

To nurture their inquisitiveness, it’s important to continually encourage their thinking and exploration. Help them find answers to their questions, engage in discussions about why they think a certain way, and explore answers together. It’s perfectly fine to acknowledge when you don’t have an immediate answer to their inquiries. So, as tiring it is to hear the word why, we don’t want them to stop asking questions. We want the children to become critical thinkers and always have that wonder.

Throughout this week, the butterflies slowly emerged from their chrysalids. The children were very excited to see them drying their wings and eating from a ripe banana. We also noticed that all of the ladybugs have hatched from their pupae. We took them outside to set them free. Maybe we will see them on the playground one day. The tadpoles are still tadpoles for now, but they are getting bigger. Hopefully, we will see them grow their legs by the end of the school year.

This was our last week of Spanish class with Senora Ray. We want to say Gracias to Senora Ray for taking the time every Wednesday to teach us Spanish.

Food Tasting: This week, we tried edamame. It was a fun experience eating them from the pod as some of the soybeans popped out. All the children enjoyed them and had multiple helpings.

Thank you so much for all the birthday love! I appreciate the lovely cards, flowers, and treats.

Cynthia and Sara