October 17, 2019
October is one of the sweet spots of the academic year. We’re past the getting-to-know-you period, but not yet into holiday craziness. We’ve mastered all the new names and routines, and the fall weather has us energized. We’re into the rhythm of the school year, ready to be productive learners and community members. Lower Schoolers are taking good advantage of this sweet time.
The TK class is doing fun math and science activities with the pumpkins they brought back from the pumpkin patch. They’re also studying family members and different types of families. Kindergarteners are also working with pumpkins, balancing them on their own Jenga towers! In addition, they’ve learned about famous Hispanic Americans in the arts, sports, and sciences.
First grade continues the fall theme with apples galore! They’ve conducted apple experiments, made homemade applesauce, and celebrated Johnny Appleseed’s birthday. They’ve been working hard on their narrative writing, and today they shared their stories with their fourth grade buddies. 
Second graders have taken their learning into the community with several field trips – to Durham City Hall to meet with Mayor Schewel, to Raleigh to tour the Legislative Building and the State Capitol, and to the PACE Senior Center to play games and build connections with local seniors.
Third graders are challenging themselves to learn the fifty states in alphabetical order. (Do you know them all?) They also enjoyed a visit with two Duke men’s basketball players through the Read with the Blue Devils program. Fourth graders are eagerly anticipating their trip to the mountains where they’ll go sluicing and creeking for gemstones and learn about our state’s natural resources. During their Reading and Writing Workshops, they’ve focused on characters: understanding characters in their reading and developing believable characters in their writing. This week, fifth graders had a special lesson on using spreadsheets to create the budgets for their GFGA projects. Next week, they’ll visit the Schoolhouse of Wonder to learn about Native American ways and early American settlers.
Complements classes have been buzzing with activity too. PE classes have started a unit on flag football, working on throwing and catching with partners and learning the rules of the game. In Music, students are learning fun Halloween songs and preparing for the Grandparents’ Day concert in November. Primary grades Spanish classes are focusing on the letters of the Spanish alphabet, while upper elementary classes are making their own weather forecast videos in Spanish.
That’s life in the Lower School in October – busy, productive, and fun!
Amie Tedeschi
Lower School Coordinator
