Field Day 2021
We had the perfect weather for Field Day this week! The children enjoyed participating in 7 different stations set up on the field. Thank you Coach Pam for organizing this fun event. We saw many smiles and heard “This is the best day ever!” more than once. Enjoy the pictures of our fun filled day!
Have a great weekend,
Amanda & Sharlene
Field Day 2021
Field day was a great success! Thank you Coach Pam for organizing such a fun event for everyone. We hope you enjoy the pictures.
Wishing you a week filled with peace and love.
Michelle & Lizette
We are continuing our studies on the different classes of animals. So far, we have learned about mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles. Currently, we are studying amphibians.
We are learning that:
We have also been learning about the life cycle of a frog and what happens at each stage of development.
The easiest way to answer the question, “What exactly is the difference between reptiles and amphibians?,” is you need to look at their skin. Reptiles have dry, scaly skin and amphibians have moist skin that can be either smooth or rough. Other differences include their eggs and relationship with water. Both reptiles and amphibians hatch from eggs, although their eggs are very different from one another. Amphibian eggs are transparent and jelly like. An amphibian goes through a metamorphosis to look like its adult self. Reptile eggs can be leathery or have a delicate coating. Newborn reptiles are a miniature version of their adult self. Amphibians need a habitat that includes water, as they spend part of their life cycle in the water. Most amphibians will also lay their eggs in water. However, a reptile does not need water for its habitat, although it will often live near water.
Our Kindergarten children have been meeting with their ‘reading buddy’ once a week. It is a time they ask for repeatedly and has been a huge success. This past week, they were able to go hike the outdoor classroom with their older friend.
Wishing you a week filled with peace and love!
Michelle & Lizette
“There must be provision for the child to have contact with nature; to understand and appreciate the order, the harmony and the beauty in nature,”- Maria Montessori
Being outdoors ignites a unique excitement and curiosity in children that cannot be replicated in the classroom (unknown).
Every day your children spend time learning, working together, and exploring our natural playground. Daily outdoor learning helps to develop healthy, active lifestyles and routines for the children, while providing them with hands-on experiences in our natural world. Our beautiful natural playground provides unique experiences to stimulate the children’s creativity and contribute to their appreciation of nature.
Helping children develop an appreciation for the outdoors is one of the significant benefits of regular outdoor play. The outside world is full of beautiful sounds, sights, textures, and life. Exposing children early on to the beauty of the world around them can be the perfect way to boost the aesthetic development of a child, allowing them to be more aware of all the beauty around them.
The first few photos are from our Kindergarteners’ “reading buddies” program. Once a week the Kindergarten children have had the opportunity to spend time outdoors reading or hiking with a middle student student. They have all really enjoyed this time together!
Here’s to rising temperatures, longer days, and the opportunity to spend time exploring the outdoors!
Until next week,
Amanda & Sharlene
We have had a busy and exciting week here in Primary! Completing our butterfly life cycle study, beginning our last continent study unit of the school year, and the Kindergarten students went on a field trip for a pond and insect study!
Last weekend our caterpillars finished their metamorphosis and came out of their chrysalis as beautiful painted lady butterflies. We finished up our study of the butterfly life cycle this week by observing our butterflies for a few days and then releasing the butterflies out on the playground. It was so fun to watch the butterflies flutter away and the children enjoyed tracking where they all flew off to.
As we finished up the study of the butterfly life cycle, we also began our last continent unit of the school year, Australia. Australia is such an interesting continent due to its size and the fact that many of its native animal species are only found in Australia. We will be exploring the animals, culture, and landmarks of Australia over the next few weeks.
On Monday, our Kindergarten students took a field trip to Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury, CT. This was a great introduction to amphibians and the life cycle of a frog. The students took a hike through the woods to a pond. Once at the pond they were introduced to some of the species that live there and were given nets to do some exploration on their own. We had so much fun catching tadpoles, newts, dragonfly nymphs, and even a giant water bug! At the end of the program, we explored a large open field with butterfly nets to try to catch some insects. The highlight was a toad found in the grass! I would encourage you all to visit Flanders Nature Center for a fun outdoor family activity: flandersnaturecenter.org.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Amanda & Sharlene
On Monday, the Kindergarten children spent time at Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury. First, we gathered our nets and took 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, giant water bugs, and salamanders. We observed turtles resting on a rock, fish swimming, and we never gave up searching for those elusive frogs. When we were done, we released any living thing we had collected and headed back to the field to begin searching for insects. 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.
On Wednesday, we were able to release our Painted Lady butterflies. It has been a fun learning experience to observe the metamorphosis that took place from the time our tiny little caterpillars arrived.
Miss Lizette and I would like to thank all of you for outpouring of love and support for Teacher Appreciation week. We are so incredibly grateful for the relationships that we have with each of the children and their families. It truly takes a village and we are blessed to have such an amazing one.
Wishing you a week filled peace and love.
Michelle & Lizette
I think we are all still slightly shocked that the end of the school year is quickly approaching. May is an amazing month because we look back to see all that we have accomplished and what we have left to do. Each child’s learning at this point is very much cumulative and continues to build upon all of the skills that have been mastered since August. A perfect example of this are the Kindergarten animal research projects the children have been working on for several weeks. We start this project in late Spring because we need a foundation of reading, writing, geography, science, and even math in order to be successful. I was ‘interviewing’ the Kindergartners for the About The Author section of their book and several other children quickly wanted to be interviewed. Truly, what they wanted to share with us was what they hoped to be when they were older. Their answers are sure to brighten everyone’s day.
Anchor wants to be a soldier who protects people.
Carmen wants work in a Target store and have a lot of meetings.
Elliot wants to be a a scientist, an astronaut, or a dentist. He is well aware that it would be impossible to do all three jobs and is happy that he won’t have to make that decision until he is either fifteen or eighteen years old.
Emma wants to an artist or a school bus driver and will decide when she’s a grown up.
Gregory G wants to work at a car dealership, selling Bugatti’s.
Gregory L wants to be a runner or a soccer player. He’s very relieved he won’t have to practice too much for either sport because he is already very good at them.
Greyson wants to be an astronaut because he loves flying and exploring.
Harper wants to be a singer who writes her own songs and music and then sings all over the world.
Julianna wants to be a veterinarian because she loves animals so very much.
Landon wants to work on a computer like his dad.
Lily wants to be a doctor because she likes to take care of people who need help.
Luca wants to be a basketball or soccer player.
Marin wants to be a teacher so she can help children make good choices and do the right thing.
Mya wants to be a ballerina who will dance in parks all over the world.
Olivia would like to be a mama because she loves her mama so much and wants to be just like her.
Simrin would like to do as much cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes as she can. She just really likes doing grown up stuff. She’s also contemplating becoming a teacher but needs to learn how to read first.
Virginia would like to be a mommy when she grows up because she loves her mommy so much.
Wilder would like to work in his dad’s building and earn lots of money.
Xander would like to be a doctor or a dentist. He wouldn’t mind brushing other people’s teeth but really doesn’t like when he has to brush his own.
Wishing you a week filled peace and love.
Michelle & Lizette
The quote, “April showers bring May flowers,” has always been my favorite way of explaining the weather during the early stages of spring. As we started May this week it felt like we had more rain than sunshine, but it is important to remember the beauty that emerges after the earth drinks up all that rain! As May comes into view, so have the colorful blossoms of flowers and vibrant green buds on the trees. Without those April showers, none of these things would be here for us, which is one way of remaining positive during those dreary, rainy days.
That rain also keeps us inside the classroom longer during our morning work cycle. Sometimes it is hard for the children to sit and concentrate without releasing some energy outside, but this past week has been filled with some amazing moments of focus and perseverance. The children have been so engaged in their work, some days they forget about going outside and lose themselves in the activities around them. Their ability to work for longer periods of time just goes to show how much they have grown over the course of the year. The children are confident in themselves and excited to continue to learn and grow as individuals.
You could say that these April showers have made our children grow, and soon bloom, as we head into our final full month of the school year, May!
Wishing you a beautiful week,
Amanda & Sharlene