Lower School Assembly

In efforts to connect to our greater community and bring Lower School Assembly outdoors, our students made history this past Tuesday with our very first outdoor, off campus assembly.  As a lower school, we traveled to Abington Art Center for our assembly experience.  The assembly opened with a welcome, moment of silence, and a historical background of the Abington Art Center shared by Rich.  4th grade shared their shore ceremony from their recent trip to the shore.  Rosanne and a group of students led a guessing activity around how many meters the 4th grade walked while on the shore trip.  Crissy announced how the lower school was making history that morning by leaving campus for an outdoor assembly.  We raised our voices and closed together as a school singing our assembly song.  It was truly a joyful morning for all in attendance.    

Leaving AFS...

Rich welcomes everyone with a moment of silence and shares a bit about the history of the Abington Art Center.

4th Grade Performs!

How many meters did the 4th grade walk on the shore trip?

A new world record!

Our whole Lower School participated in a fun, world record setting activity today that was coordinated by our Physical Education Department.  Across the country, over a million kids participated too.  Here is some info... and a video...

A National Physical Activity MOVEMENT For EVERYONE with Kids Leading 

JAM World Record is a FUN campaign to rally EVERYONE to pause and take just a minute for a fitness break.  This campaign is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of making activity a daily habit, ensuring our kids learn healthy habits at a young age and our schools have access to quality physical education programs.   

Physical Activity Helps:

• Build strong bones and muscles
• Improve mental clarity, productivity & mood
• Prevent cancers and diseases

Making History

EVERYONE, people of all ages and abilities, can participate in THIS world record and make a difference.  

Trees

Yesterday we noticed many students showing interest in the trees.  Some of the leaves are beginning to change color, and a few leaves are falling already.  We gathered in our outdoor classroom and read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and learned a new song about a tree.  We realized that we have been talking about trees a lot.  So far this year we have read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (about the coconut tree) by Bill Martin Jr., and we have talked about recycling paper in our classroom, because it helps the trees.  The children are so excited to observe that many things around them are made from trees: bookshelves, tables, chairs, books, guitars, doors, and so much more.  The students have also been enthusiastic about trying their hands at tree climbing.  We believe a theme is emerging...

The Building Begins...

On Monday the bulldozer leveled the ground for the building that will be the centerpiece of our Outdoor Classroom.

 The students were fascinated.  Yesterday the big cement truck came and cement was poured into holes in the ground.  There was a large cheering section as the cement poured out of the mixer and into the wheelbarrows.  Today they will sink large beams into the concrete, and then the framing will begin.

Happy Peace Day!!

Today is International Peace Day.

As a Quaker School, peace is a core value which is woven throughout our curriculum.  During our Morning Meeting today we read, "Can You Say Peace?" by Karen Katz.  The book shows how children from around the world say "peace" in different languages. Later on in the morning we read, "The Peace Book" by Todd Parr.  We realized that peace can mean different things to different people, and we shared our ideas about what peace means to us.  Then the children got excited to make our own kindergarten Peace Book.  We provided them with pages for the book with the words, "Peace is..." already written on them.  The students then wrote the rest of the sentence with their own idea of what peace is to them.  In kindergarten we encourage the children to stretch out the sounds in the words that they want to write.  By isolating the sounds, they are better able to identify the corresponding letters to those sounds.  We allow them to incorrectly form and identify letters as they write.  We understand that learning to write is a process, and it is important for the students to feel successful as they learn.  So we strike a balance between giving them the right answers, and letting them make mistakes.  This results in what we call "developmental spelling", or "kid writing".  Sometimes we add "book writing" which is conventional spelling the way it would appear in a book.  By gradually scaffolding the writing skills of each child as they write, the students develop a positive attitude towards the writing process.  They happily engage in our classroom writing activities without feeling overwhelmed.

Our Journey Begins...

What a fine group of intrepid explorers! We have been busy cultivating the necessary attributes for a safe and successful adventure this year. We are practicing the arts of focusing our attention, sharing with each other, asking questions, supporting each other, and taking risks. We are learning how to utilize important tools like letters, numbers, our senses, and the strength of community. Our new Outdoor Classroom has provided a springboard for some courageous undertakings.

Much has been written about children’s disconnection from the natural world. Aware that contact with nature is as important to children as good nutrition and plenty of sleep, the interest within our AFS community in making our school grounds more functional and appealing began to grow. Emphasis was placed on the thought about how to use our outdoor space, not only for recreation, but also to enhance instruction. Thus, our “AFS Outdoor Classroom” was created.

The natural world is exciting to children, and it is where they want to spend most, if not all, of their time. Nature offers stimulation and engagement, as well as relaxation and restoration. Experiences with the outdoors support development in all domains, captivate children’s imaginations, and promote physical and mental health.

When our Kindergarteners first entered our newly developed outdoor environment, their first question was, “Where’s the playground?” We explained that this is their playground, and then we asked the children to go and explore. Within seconds, the students were joyfully engaged in discovery. It was amazing to see how this new space contributed to their dramatic and constructive play behaviors. Here’s what they did .....

Hypothesize, “What will happen if we ...?”

Photographed natural beauty

Constructed a “School”

Created a “farm” titled, “Abington Friends Farm Market”

   

Made “Mud Pie”

Built a “nest for the bugs”

Assembled a “rocket ship”

Balanced on a tree stump              

...And much, much more...