recent photos

This is a collection of recent pictures from class, including the amazing graphics practice session we had using shaving cream. Practicing letter formations was never soooo much fun!

A few pictures from dramatic play in our camping theme

The camping theme is our final play theme of the school year. Where has the time gone? Our traditional centers have transformed into the Ranger Station, 2 campsites, a camp store, the beach, and a hiking center. We'll add to this slide show eventually.

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More pictures from our dramatic play camping theme ..

Field Trip to Sewall Woods

The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust has some amazing properties under their stewardship. We were invited by one of their naturalists, Becky K., to go on a hike in Sewall Woods, and see the sights. It dovetailed nicely with our camping theme in class, and the sun was shining as well. Just getting on the big yellow school bus was very exciting. But the walk in the woods, with lovely accoutrements by Miss Becky was really fun. She invited us to use (almost) all of our senses to enjoy this walk. We listened to birds, sniffed wintergreen plants, matched textures and colors of man-made items with natural items, and observed bracken ferns, nurse stumps, star flowers, trail blazes, beech leaves, maple leaves, hemlock trees, a pond, collected treasures and walked across bog bridges.

Pre-K has been lucky to have several visitors recently. Becky K., a naturalist from Kennebec Estuary Land Trust, has been teaching us about some local birds, specifically the types represented by osprey, loons and sandpipers. The shape of their beaks and feet gives us clues as to what these birds eat and where they hang out. We made a bird costume (head and feet) illustrating these features - so much fun! Many kids proudly told their parents what they knew, as they met them at noontime.

Our other visitor was Miss Bethany from SASSMM. She brought Penny the Porcupine (a puppet), who helped us talk about safety issues around being touched. This was so age level appropriate and very engaging for the kids.