Discovering the Ancient Marvels of the Sea!
Posted by Ann Palm
For the past ten years, our kindergarten and fourth grade students have had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Limulus Program in collaboration with Sacred Heart University. Each spring our young scientists meet Sacred Heart University students at Southport Beach, for an unforgettable hands-on learning experience centered around one of nature’s oldest most fascinating creatures, the horseshoe crab.
During the beach visit students learn to identify horseshoe crabs, examine their anatomy, and observe their behaviors. We helped tag the crabs for future research. If a horseshoe crab gets flipped onto its back, it can use its long tail not for defense but as a lever to flip itself over. Their blood is crucial for medical research and vaccine safety. We also learned horseshoe crabs are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than crabs!
This program offers more than just science education. It fosters curiosity, environmental awareness and respect for living creatures. We are grateful for our continued partnership with Sacred Heart University and look forward to many more years of exploration and discovery.
From Caterpillar to Butterfly: A Magical Journey in Kindergarten
Posted by Ann Palm
In our Kindergarten classroom science recently fluttered to life in the most magical way! Our young learners dove into the fascinating world of butterflies, exploring each stage of their life cycle with wide eyes and curious hearts. We have let our butterflies go free to explore their new world and we wished them a safe journey.
Learning Mandarin is So Much Fun!
Posted by kellyyeh
This past month was filled with exciting activities for our students! We learned animal names in Mandarin and played a fun Chinese character “Spot It” game—which the kids absolutely loved. They also practiced writing Chinese characters through interactive games.
To help remember the animal names, students created adorable animal crafts. This not only reinforced their vocabulary but also supported the development of their fine motor skills.
Our 3rd graders even tried their hand at Chinese calligraphy, and they did an amazing job! It was so impressive to see their concentration and creativity shine.
To wrap it all up, the 3rd graders used a special communication sheet to walk around the classroom and chat with their classmates in Mandarin. It was wonderful to see them confidently using the language in real conversations!
Growth Mindset Using Dots!
Posted by anniehenry
Over the course of January the entire school focused on Growth Mindset with Mrs. Henry. Students learned what it is, the importance of it, the role mistakes and failure play in our life, and the strength in resilience. Lower schoolers practiced flipping their mindsets and power in positive affirmations. Upper Schoolers learned about neuroplasticity and the literal growth we can have within our brains. The whole school ended the unit by reading The Dot, by Peter Reynolds. A story that reminds us that sometimes the best way to get unstuck is to simply get started, and that growth often means taking a risk. Every student in the school then decorated a dot and 5th graders worked to display them in our dining room. If you find yourself stuck, turn to our mural of dots and remember to have a growth mindset!
We Love Deep Play!
Posted by Faith BarbutoEach week students in PreK, Kindergarten and First Grade join me after school to learn new ways to calm their bodies and regulate their emotions through play. During this less structured time, we do crafts, play games and have lots of hands-on fun. To celebrate Valentine’s Day this week’s classes focused on self love. I wrote affirmations on conversation hearts with white crayons that students revealed with paint. What a heartwarming surprise! For homework students were instructed to to post these notes somewhere they could read them every night. This week the same students chose to make our own puffy paint and tackle an obstacle course. One of the things I love most about these sessions is that the students direct a lot of the activities, it really is their time!
新 年 快 乐 – Happy New Year!
Posted by Carina Blackwell
In one of our many celebrations centered around Chinese New Year, our 4th and 5th grade students rolled up their sleeves to make over 600 vegetable dumplings for the entire school to enjoy at lunch. As part of the celebration, our students shared insights into Chinese New Year traditions and the significance of the dishes we were about to enjoy.
Our talented chefs also prepared an array of delicious dishes to complement the dumplings, including house-made scallion oil, a soy-rice vinegar dipping sauce, and a flavorful vegetable lo mein with bok choy, peppers, onions, and carrots. We also enjoyed yummy miso soup and a vibrant Chinese chicken salad, served on a bed of fresh spinach with mandarin oranges, edamame beans, scallions, broccoli, crunchy chow mein noodles, and zesty mandarin ginger dressing for the salad bar. Oranges were served for dessert, symbolizing good luck and happiness in the new year.
It was a festive and flavorful way to ring in the Lunar New Year, celebrating both food and tradition with our entire school community. Here’s to a year filled with good fortune and joy!
