SMART START Fundraisers

     During the month of September, SMART START students host a fundraiser here at school! Last year, classmates worked a farm stand and this year a bake sale! Our goal of these hands-on events is to promote parent/family involvement and to provide our young learners with experience in customer service, knowledge of money concepts and instilment of hard work ethic.  

Read below to learn more about our annual fundraisers: 

2019

Bake Sale!
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     Future entrepreneurs were most enthusiastic organizing for the bake sale to be held in their outdoor classroom. Each SMART START family contributed a baked item that pupils priced and packaged. The sale displayed an assortment of treats including: cookies, muffins, cupcakes, cake pops and more! In addition, eggs from our classroom pet chickens, tomatoes from our grow what we eat garden and raffle tickets for a pumpkin were sold. 

     
     Our prekindergartners managed various jobs at the bake sale: cashier, item scanner, price stamper and raffle supervisor. Preschoolers assisted their older peers when needed. All were excited once shoppers/their families arrived and helped them purchase goods for home. Students learned how to communicate with customers and practiced phrases such as, "Welcome to our bake sale!" and "Thank you, come again!"  

Congratulations to Lou Lou and her family for winning our raffle- We hope you enjoy the Pumpkin! 

2018

Farm Stand! 🍅🥚

   🍋🍩🍪  Eager chefs took to the kitchen and worked together to make lemonade, apple cider donuts and cookies! They washed and squeezed lemons, used the donut maker and measured and mixed cookie ingredients. These goods were highly sought after at the farm stand. Customers were quite satisfied!

   
     With food preparation complete, it was time to package and price the items. Our hardworking bunch put eggs in cartons and green beans, donuts and cookies into individual bags. Each item received a sticker with a price. A special thank you to Cody and Kinsley for bringing in tomatoes to sell and a large zucchini for a raffle!

     All were up to the task of learning the role of cashier and following through on responsibilities. Adorable as ever, they sported aprons and name tags. This was an ideal activity to learn about the value of money, coin and dollar identification, as well as basic addition and subtraction. SMART START cashiers were proud to be in charge of the transactions and converse with customers.

  
Thank you to all our SMART START families for supporting our school fundraisers! Your participation and efforts are greatly appreciated!

💚SMART START💚

Welcome Fall!

🍏Click below to view what our young learners have been doing at school to prepare for the season of fall!

🍁SMART START🍁

Science/S.T.E.A.M

🧪SMART START's core curriculum highlights a major focus on S.T.E.A.M (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). Educating preschoolers/prekindergartners on the basics of the five aforementioned fields allows them to formulate observations, develop critical thinking, learn problem solving skills, make discoveries, instill inventiveness and so much more! 

Read below to see what our curious learners studied during this S.T.E.A.M unit!

🧲Inquisitive minds were quite attracted to our physics lesson on magnetism. Peers tested out an assortment of magnetic objects and engineered them into towers, castles, airplanes and more. Preschoolers were amazed how the items pulled together while prekindergartners grasped the concept of invisible magnetic fields. 

🔍Future researchers explored a science based display which contained: test tubes, goggles, magnifying glasses, beakers, magnets, specimen slides, a microscope and manuals. Pupils learned that experiments begin with a question and a hypothesis/educated guess. It is crucial for children to inquire, seek answers and find resolutions in order to expand their knowledge. 

🔬SMART START scientists put on lab coats and welcomed Bobby The Scientist for another on-site field trip! Interactive learning commenced with a Biology experiment. Bobby offered expertise on the technology equipment used in laboratories such as, a microscope. Next, he handed out Q-tips and instructed how to wipe inside the cheek to collect bacteria. Students then swiped the sample on a glass slide and examined it under a microscope. All were fascinated by the microorganisms living in their mouth!

🦀Bobby introduced his aspiring apprentices to a group of hermit crabs. Magnifying glasses were used to investigate the species up close. 

Here are a few facts we learned:

• Hermit crabs are crustaceans 
• They inhabit empty snail shells
• The study of crustaceans is called carcinology
• Crabs have 10 legs and 2 sets of antennae
• Humid temperatures are ideal for crabs

🐚Creative classmates designed some shells that the hermit crabs once resided in. Materials used were paint, glitter and miniature rocks. All were proud of their finished product and thanked the crabs for the spare shells.  

Click below to view more S.T.E.A.M at SMART START

💡SMART START💡

Fun on the Farm

     Throughout the summer, we had been studying all things farm at SMART START!
Follow along below to see what we learned.🐑


    🐄 Future farmers free played with an assortment of theme related toys in both our indoor and outdoor classrooms. Pupils entertained items such as, puzzles, tractors, barns, animals and puppets independently and in groups. Structured and unstructured play yields numerous benefits such as,

• an outlet to express emotions 
• foster independence
• encourage creativity 
• promote healthy brain development 
• freedom to choose and establish friendships
• enhance language and communicative abilities
• Instill a love for learning and so much more!

    🐖Young learners are always eager to observe our book displays. To coincide with this unit of study, the display showcased books and materials regarding farm life. Peers partnered up to read, learn and sing their favorite farm classics such as, "The Farmer in the Dell", "Five Little Ducks" and "Old Macdonald Had A Farm"! E-I-E-I-O!

    🍓 July is blueberry picking season! Dutiful gardeners were excited to discover a blueberry bush in the garden at our new school. In addition, students planted strawberry plants this spring that were ready to be picked. After harvesting the crop, all enjoyed the delicious berries during mealtime- grow what you eat!

    🐓 SMART START agriculturalists are gaining experience working their barnyard at school. The children diligently care for our classroom pets of chickens, ducks, rabbits and newly welcomed ducklings. In accordance of pecking order, prekindergartners are the relied upon farmhands while the younger preschoolers assist them. Farms chores include: feeding, grooming, cleaning and nurturing the animals.

    🐴 The travelling petting farm and pony rides on-site field trip was highly anticipated by all! Farming friends enthusiastically explored the pens of animals which included: chickens, rabbits, ducks, bunnies, chicks and goats! The children were able to pet, hold and feed each animal and were given a ride on Pearl the pony! Our farmer guests shared their expertise and were impressed with the knowledgeable comments and questions from the class. The petting farm also brought some farm fresh apple cider donuts! The group enjoyed these along with a special treat made by Asher-Thank you! These extended hands-on components of curriculum allow students to better comprehend the subject matter and further enrich their education.

🚜SMART START🚜

All About Sonnie!

     Sonnie was one of our “All About Me” presenters for August! She did a fabulous job decorating and showcasing her poster. Sonnie’s vibrant personality shined through as she explained some interesting facts about herself. All were very impressed with how Sonnie embraced this project. Excellent work, Sonnie!

Here are some details from Sonnie's poster:

• Favorite animal is a pig 🐖
• Wishes for all the popsicles and ice cream in the world 🍦
• Enjoys singing and dancing 🎵
• Loves to go to the beach 🌊
• Favorite color is pink 💗

     Everyone was all smiles for Sonnie's 3rd birthday party at school. She brought in delicious cookies, bubbles and playdoh to share with her friends. The class sang "Happy Birthday" to Sonnie in both English and Spanish and gifted her with a book.

     Miss Sonnie has been a SMART START student for over a year now. She is enthusiastic, spirited and a thoughtful classmate. We are excited to see what you will accomplish this year as a preschooler, Sonnie!

💛SMART START💛