Music - Featuring Irish Dance "Rakes of Mallow"

Rakes of Mallow Dance

(sorry that there's a lot of my voice in this!)

Walking in the Air - free movement

Body Study

We recently discussed the various areas of current interest in our classroom for the purpose of choosing our new theme of study.  As we shared about our interest in the human body, one student said, "I am very interested in finding out about how people die."  Many hands were raised, and many children shared this interest.  It is indeed a fascinating concept.  We decided that we could unravel this mystery a bit if we learned more about how our bodies work.  We have spent time asking questions about the body, and reading about the body.  We are currently studying the senses, and we were lucky to have a visit from an expert on the eye yesterday.  Grace and Gus' Abuela Clara is a Veterinary Ophthalmologist.  The children were fascinated to hear about how waves of light enter the eye through the pupil and become the images that we see because of the brain's ability to interpret the signals from the nerves.

We gave the children an outline of the human body and asked them to draw what they think is inside our bodies.  We will repeat this activity at the end of this study to show them how much they have learned.

We now have in our classroom The AFS Friendship Hospital! We have a talented team of doctors ready to assist you with any medical care that you may need.  

Magnets!

Kindergarten students have launched into an exploration of magnets.  Each student was given a tray filled with items to test to see if the items were magnetic.  There were some surprises!  Pipe cleaners and twist ties were magnetic, which was a surprise to everyone, while money is not, even though it is metal.  Another discovery was that there are lots of items around the room that are magnetic, including table and chair legs, and the door frames.  We'll continue for the next few classes playing magnet games and creating magnet mazes.

Clay Tile Creations

The kindergarten artists have been busy creating beautiful clay tiles in the art room. As an introduction to clay, the kindergarteners had the opportunity to play with clay, exploring its texture, how it can be manipulated and what kinds of shapes they could make with it.

In our next class, the students used a variety of tools (shells, keys, screws, pencils and more!) to press designs into clay tile slabs. After letting the clay dry and running it in the kiln, the kindergarteners picked a glaze color with which to paint their tiles. We can't wait to see the tiles after they come out of the kiln all shiny and bright!

Extended Day Spring Enrichment Opportunities

The Extended Day Enrichment Program at AFS is offering two fantastic courses this spring.  Please read below about the two programs being offered.  If you are interested in signing up for a course, please contact Beverly Weems or Danielle Benner.  

Visit this link to our brochure for program costs and additional registration information:  

http://www.abingtonfriends.net/LowerSchool/ExtendedDayProgram

Spring Soccer

Grades: K— 2, Wednesdays
Dates: April 9 – May 28

In this program, children will learn the basic rules and concepts of
the game of soccer in a fun and enthusiastic setting. Using theme
based games, we will focus on the core skills of the game. Coach Drew’s program will help children develop proper dribbling and shooting techniques; practice sportsmanship; and hone in on children’s ability to listen and follow directions. Children will
improve their ball handling skills, game awareness, speed and
agility in a fun yet challenging environment.

 

Intermediate Chess
 

Grades: K - 6, Thursdays
Spring: April 10 –May 29

Do you want to learn how to apply chess thinking throughout your life? Chess presents a fun
way to learn how to think strategically, mathematically, and creatively. Students will learn individually and, as a group, the best ways to take their chess game to the next level. This course does have a requirement of first completing the Chess for Beginners course or other prior Chess experiences. 

 

Save the Date for Science Night!

Science Night will be coming up soon, on April 10th.  

There will be lots of science presentations, hands-on experiments and student work to see.

Save the date for this all-school event that celebrates science learning at AFS!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Today Samara's Mom, Dina, came to our classroom with her 8th graders to share some fun Mardi Gras traditions with the kindergarten!  They ate King Cake (Patrese found the baby in his piece making him king for the day!), listened to Jazz, and made some beautiful Mardi Gras masks.  The children were starstruck by the 8th graders, who were kind and patient with their younger friends. Community building activities like these are a favorite of students and teachers alike.