May 23, 2019
It’s hard to believe that the journey of learning and growing that we began together on August 22 is drawing to a close. In just two short weeks, our days will be filled with popsicles and swimming pools. In the meantime, Lower School students are enjoying these final days with field trips and special events that signal the conclusion of a successful year.
TK students are busy wrapping up their alphabet and creating memory books. The Kindergarten class is looking forward to their upcoming trip to Bull City Gymnastics, where they will get to walk on balance beams, do some tumbling, and even try out the uneven bars, assisted by the BCG staff. First graders recently read their haiku poetry and shared their animal habitat dioramas with their family and friends at the annual Writers’ Event. Today, they are enjoying a new adventure: taking the Amtrak train from Durham to Cary, where they will watch an ice cream demo (with samples!) and have some fun playtime in Cary Park.
The second-grade class has taken so many field trips this year, which have added to their curriculum and enhanced their sense of citizenship and responsibility. They’ll fit in one more trip to see their friends at the senior center before the school year ends. Last week, the third grade had a great learning experience at Prairie Ridge Ecostation, where they took soil samples, examined four types of soil, and studied the special adaptations of many beautiful plants.
This week, fourth graders are experiencing their first overnight field trip to the beach, learning about the recovery of Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, exploring a Civil War-era fort, and observing the special adaptations of sharks at the aquarium. The highlight of the trip will be the visit to Shackleford Banks to see the wild horses. Be sure to ask them about the Banker ponies on Friday!
Finally, the fifth-grade class completed their Great Fifth Grade Adventure to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, last week. Ober Gatlinburg, with its Mountain Coaster and Alpine Slide, was a favorite of many students. Other highlights included the rock wall, high ropes course, and hands-on science activities at Wonderworks and Sleeping with the Sharks at the Ripley’s Aquarium. It sounds like this capstone Lower School experience was a huge success!
Amie Tedeschi
Lower School Coordinator
