A Whirlwind of Learning: Q1 in Lower School
By Natalie Ditmore
Pumpkins, field trips, bunnies, and bonfires: our Lower School Tornados sure packed a lot into the first quarter, and our teachers are excited to share about their adventures!
Transitional Kindergarten
TK first-quarter highlights include a field trip to Compare Foods and making food for a fiesta, a field trip to Umstead Park where we played in the creek and searched for pumpkins, and a campfire and s’mores party in the backyard.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten highlights include a visit from Piedmont Wildlife as well as a field trip to Bennett Place. We explored pumpkins and apples, baking with both and learning about the life cycle of both plants. We have small greenhouses in our classrooms, one with a pumpkin as we observe how it changes over time, and another with apple seeds we found growing in apples!
First Grade
Q1 in first grade is filled with so much learning and fun! Spirit week was a definite highlight. First graders got to lead with their creativity all week long as we delved into spider, cat, and pumpkin themed crafts. We also put on our scientist hats through our pumpkin investigation. We estimated ridges, seeds, and the circumference of the pumpkins before working together to find the actual totals! Wrapping up the week with Halloween-themed poems and Fall Carnival was such a blast!
Second Grade
A major highlight was hosting Elicia Senff, an Environmental Educator from Durham County’s Soil and Water Conservation District. She visited our classes to teach students about erosion, weathering, and how the environment shapes geography. Through hands-on experiments with model dunes and interactive games, students explored how environmental changes affect ecosystems.
Third Grade
Third grade has been enjoying and embracing all things geography! Many students took on the challenge of labeling all 50 states on a map, and all students are eagerly researching about countries across the globe!
We also have been exploring math in different contexts; we took a trip to Duke Gardens for hands-on activities with geometry, measurement, and multiplication!
Fourth Grade
Fourth graders took learning outdoors during their first all-day field trip to Emerald Hollow Mine in Hiddenite, North Carolina! Students explored the differences between the Piedmont and Mountain regions while hunting for gems three ways (some of which were delightfully messy!). A quick stop at an apple orchard store wrapped up the adventure, with apple cider slushies proving to be the consensus favorite.
Fifth Grade
As part of their unit on Indigenous Peoples, fifth graders recently took an enriching field trip to the Occaneechi Indian Village! Students stepped back in time as they explored a 19th-century schoolhouse and toured the traditional village, which is encircled by impressive palisades. Along the way, they learned firsthand about the daily lives, culture, and enduring history of the Occaneechi people.
Fall Sports Recap