Lower School

Lower School nurtures the social, emotional, and academic growth and development of each child. Working with families, we strive to maximize each child's potential by means of age-appropriate challenges in a supportive atmosphere. Students are encouraged to take risks and to share their ideas, thinking, and problem-solving strategies during whole-class lessons; in small group cooperative activities; and on individual projects.

LOWER SCHOOL HAPPENINGS

Students in our Lower School completed an exciting 2008-2009 school year that included special guest speakers, class assemblies, parent/child afternoons of math and science, and a Family Day celebration where Language, Art, Music, and Physical Education skills and talents were showcased.

Getting to know each other was the theme for our Lower School Parent Tea. Children in grades PK, JK, K, and 1, along with their parents, met their children's teachers in an informal setting on the lawn of the Annex on the first day of school.  Classroom teachers served cookies and soft drinks.

All our Lower School children and teachers worked together onPlanting Day.  Children brought in and planted bulbs in designated areas throughout the campus.  During early spring, the campus was an array of colors.  We were all so proud of the part we played to help beautify our 'school home'.

Halloween was an important holiday for all of us in the Lower School.  Children in PK, JK, and Kindergarten came to school in costume.  They paraded throughout the campus in the early morning.  Parties and a Halloween assembly followed.  The Halloween parade for grades 1-4 began after lunch.  Once again, children paraded throughout the campus, had classroom parties, and were treated to a Halloween Assembly.  A highlight of this day was"Trunk 'n Treat".  Parents parked in a designated parking lot, decorated trunks, and children Trick or Treated together with their school friends.  The Parents' Association provided refreshments (pizza) and also sponsored a trunk-decorating contest.

Pre and Junior Kindergarteners celebrated Thanksgiving with a special feast. Mrs. Papa, Mrs. Fink and parents prepared the PK meal, but Junior Kindergarteners prepared the foods for their celebration.  Children dressed as both Pilgrims and Native Americans and presented songs and poems for their parents.

Our Lower School children participated in a theater workshop class directed by Patti Murtha.  They learned to use themselves as props to perform plays.  Fourth graders worked more intensely with Miss Murtha, and met for ten 45-minute workshops.   The outcome of these classes was their performance at the Ethnic Pride Festival.  Each fourth grader chose a country to study for this project.  Much of the first trimester was spent doing projects related to their ethnic heritage.  Family trees, country fact sheets, Cinderella book reports (Cinderella stories from other countries), passports, artifacts, scrapbooks, class plays, songs and dances were all presented at the Ethnic Pride Festival.  Once the show was over, a luncheon with foods from around the world, prepared by parents, was served to children and families.  Most of the students and their families will remember this day as a highlight of their fourth grade school year.

Our Lower and Middle School children celebrated Chinese New Year attending a performance given by the "Lion Dancers".  Many of our youngest children, PK and JK, participated in the dance by forming part of the Lion's Tail.  What a celebration!

During the months of January and February, grades 1-4 participated in clubs.  Teachers (Lower, Middle and Upper), joined with parents and Upper School students to lead clubs such as Lego, SET, Cooking, Arts & Crafts, Board Games, Origami, Computers, and the Movie Club.  This was such an exciting club season!

Helping others is a value continuously reinforced in the Lower School.  To help raise awareness, children in all grades participated in fund raising activities to help others in the community.

• Grades 3&4 - Jump Rope for Heart (American Heart Association)
• Grades K-2 - St. Jude Math-a-thon (St. Jude's Hospital - Children with cancer)

Our Lower School Carnival of Math was exceptional this year with all our children participating.   Mrs. Leslie Atiram organized this event, and her fifth grade students helped Lower School students throughout the day.  Children from PK-4th grade enjoyed a variety of math activities.

First graders, with their parents, participated in a variety of after-school hands-on math activities that included estimation games, measurement projects (especially measuring a carrot), card games, and addition and subtraction games using dice.  It was the perfect way to show how to have fun with math.  Likewise, our second graders, and their parents, participated in a Science Afternoon that included activities such as building shapes using pipe cleaners, learning about static electricity using balloons, and of course, answering questions while working as a student/parent team.

This year, our Kindergarten children worked to prepare a special treat for their Moms, Grandmoms, Aunts, and special female relatives and friends.  Children prepared food, made decorations, and performed musical selections for the Mother's Day Tea.  (Not a dry eye in the house!)

A major unit of study in grade three was Pioneers.  Students readLittle House In The Big Woods, researched pioneer and Native American history, and wrote about this time in History.  The unit culminated with a Pioneer Day, highlighted by square dancing, making butter, biscuits, jewelry and dolls, and a spectacular luncheon, provided by the parents.

Another special day in the Lower School was Family Day, which took place on Friday, May 15.  Parents, grandparents, and guests were invited to school to celebrate the accomplishments of their children, especially in the Arts, World Languages, and Physical Education.  Once the presentations were over, a picnic lunch took place, followed by assorted 'carnival-like' activities for the children.  Everyone loved this year's SUNNY Family Day celebration!

Field Days for our Kindergarten through fourth graders were filled with games and activities supervised by the Physical Education Department.  These exciting days took place in June, right before our June 4th Lower School Closing ceremonies that ended our 2008-2009 school year in the Lower School.