Thank you Spring.... Hello Summer!

     Beginning in March, SMART START Students sprung right into spring studies! Our young learners fully embraced the gifts the season brought to their outdoor classroom. Nurturing class pets, sensory exploration in the sandboxes, carefree play on the structures, swinging high in the sky, enhancing gross motor skills and finding nature's treasures were a few Spring favorites. 

🌸View Our Spring Highlights Below🌸

      Summer studies have officially commenced at school! Classmates have been welcoming the season by enjoying their educational activities outdoors. The warmer weather provides opportunities for water play, nature appreciation, picnics with peers, stories in the sunshine and so much more! Learning in nature yields endless benefits for children. Some being, but not limited to fostering self-awareness, strengthening concentration, promoting respect for the environment, enhancing social-emotional well-being and igniting a child's innate desire to learn and explore. 

🌞View Our Start to Summer Fun Below🌞

⛅SMART START⛅

All About Lou Lou

   

    Miss Lou Lou was SMART START'S star student this past Spring! She beautifully completed her "All About Me" poster to share at school. All applauded Lou Lou's natural eloquence she exhibited with each presentation. Exceptional work, Lou Lou!

   

   Lou Lou's Poster 

    Lou Lou's 5th birthday celebration at school was a wonderful event! She brought in tasty popsicles and party favors to enjoy with her friends. Classmates gifted Lou Lou with a birthday book and sang, "Happy Birthday" to her in both English and Spanish. 

    Lou Lou has been attending SMART START since she was just 2 years old! This charismatic young lady is sassy, classy and the epitome of a well rounded student. She is studious, courteous, vivacious and has a genuine thirst for knowledge. You brighten everyone's day, Lou Lou!

💜SMART START💜

Animal Life Cycles

     During the spring season, SMART START incorporates the study of animal life cycles into its curriculum. Our young learners are provided the opportunity to be involved throughout the process of this natural science in a realistic setting. 

Learn about four different animal life cycles and the benefits of experiential learning below:

🥚🐣🐥🐔 Caring for chickens in our outdoor classroom is a segment of SMART START's daily routine. Classmates contribute to feeding, watering, cleaning and egg collecting. Everyone was eager to further their knowledge on the life stages of a chicken: egg, hatchling, chick and adult. Pupils participated in placing eggs inside an incubator, adding water to monitor humidity and rotating egg positions. We discussed the changes occurring within the egg as it forms from simply a yolk into a chick. After 21 days of anticipation, 7 chicks hatched! The class has been enthusiastically nurturing the hatchlings and have recently acquainted them to a coop outside. This biology teaching continues indefinitely as all will witness and assist the chicks as they grow into adulthood, lay eggs and begin the cycle again- learning through experience at its finest. 

🐛🦋 Eager Entomologists look forward to viewing the developmental timeline of a butterfly at school each year. This process consists of: watching a caterpillar come out of an egg, seeing it form into a chrysalis, celebrating the butterfly's emergence and releasing it into nature. We successfully hatched 10 Painted Lady butterflies this spring! Caring for the butterflies consists of adding sugar to a wet cotton ball for nourishment. It is exciting to view the insects using their long proboscis (straw-like tongue) to drink. To conclude this curricular aspect, the group circled together to hear the classic story, "A Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle through a story time and short film. Learning about metamorphosis firsthand is certainly an unforgettable educational event. 

🐞 Hatching ladybugs is another annual favorite. Tubes of larvae are poured into our ladybug habitat and a small amount of water is added each day. After about ten days, there were dozens of adult ladybugs crawling about. SMART START Scientists used magnifying glasses to inspect the insects up close and were able to hold the ladybugs. We discussed that ladybugs are a type of beetle that are bright red to protect themselves from predators. After this hands-on encounter, the ladybugs were set free in our nature classroom. All were surprised to discover a few eggs left behind in the habitat. These were carefully placed outdoors for the life cycle to start once more. 

🍃 Last but not least, the life cycle of a praying mantis was explored. These critters develop inside a large egg case that can take up to 6 weeks to hatch. Peers waited patiently for the insects to arrive. Friends were fascinated to see hundreds of mantids one morning at school. Magnifying glasses and natural curiosity were utilized once again to examine. All bravely held a praying mantis and some even carried a handful of them outdoors to be released into the school garden. 

📚 To reinforce life cycle learning, all took turns reviewing themed literature and materials to reflect and ask questions. Weeks have passed and our young learners are still applying the knowledge they gained from this unit. From finding a butterfly and stating that it, "emerged from a school chrysalis" to reminding the class that if we place eggs in an incubator they will take, "21 days to hatch", It is incredible what children can retain when exposed to subject matter through real life experiences. This method of teaching promotes a child's genuine desire to discover the world around them and sets them on their path to becoming a life long learner. 

🥚SMART START🥚

Winter 2021

SMART START young learners had "snow" much fun at school through an abundance of activities.

❅Read about our winter unit below❅

 

🎨 Seasonal studies commenced with a craft. Aspiring artists created a snowperson decoration using a variety of materials such as paint, glue, buttons, sparkles and more!

❆ Classmate chemists concocted their very own snow indoors mixing baking soda, hair conditioner and glitter. Snow people, snowballs, snow storms and more were made from this sensory science experiment. 

🥞 Pupils sported their favorite pajamas and lined up for a "make your own snowperson" pancake buffet.

🕮 Our outdoor classroom transformed into a winter wonderland. The class circled in the snow for a season themed storytime and discussion. Here is some information we learned:

• Winter begins around December 21st and ends around March 20th
• The season starts on the Winter Solstice: the longest night and shortest day of the year
• A nor'easter is a storm which blows strong winds over north east states such as New England
• Winter is the coldest season of the year

🛷 Everyone enjoyed exercising gross motor skills as they pushed, pulled and raced each other on sleds, free played in the snow and shoveled out their play structure. 

⛄ The class participated in the classic winter pastime of building a snowman. All assisted in creating a snow student named "shovel."

🌋 SMART START scientists sculpted a volcano out of snow. Baking soda, vinegar, dish soap and food coloring were combined to elicit an exciting eruption.

🌟 Each student brought in a special item for "snow and tell." Peers participated in this public speaking assignment by presenting their item, answering questions and viewing each others presentations. 

🍨 Classroom chefs made delicious snow cream sundaes using snow, whipping cream, chocolate and toppings.

🎲 The group engaged in games galore to enhance cognition, hand to eye coordination, fine motor abilities, cooperation, patience and have fun! Don't Break the Ice, Bingo, Pin the Carrot on the Snowperson and Memory Match were a few games played.

❄ Each child decorated a large felt snowflake. We discussed how every snowflake is unique just like each individual person. 

➕➖ Basic addition and subtraction were practiced using pretend snowballs and flashcards. 

📚The themed display portrayed books and other props for all to ponder over and explore. 

❆SMART START❆

All About Luke!

    Mr. Luke was SMART START's star student of January! He enthusiastically brought his very first "All About Me" project to school. Confidence and charisma were exhibited by Luke as he presented his poster to the class. Terrific assignment and performance, Luke!

Luke's Poster

Class Presentations

    Luke's 4th birthday party at school was fun for all! He brought in cupcakes and goody bags to share with his classmates. Friends sang, "Happy Birthday" to Luke and gifted him with a book. 

    This is Luke's second year as a SMART START student! Luke is a passionate, clever, inquisitive preschooler that is a friend to all. He truly loves to learn, play and grow with his peers. You continue to grow leaps and bounds each day, Luke!

💙SMART START💙

Animals Around the World

    Throughout the month of January, SMART START studied Animals Around the World. 

🐘Read below to follow along with our young learners on this wild science and geography unit🐘

🦊 Forest ranger friends constructed habitats using recycled materials, a woodland creature, paint and glue. Creativity and imagination magnified as egg cartons became mountains, cellophane embodied ice, toilet paper rolls turned into tunnels and Styrofoam symbolized snowbanks. Binoculars were used to appreciate all angles of these masterpieces. 

🐧 Wednesday, January 20th was National Penguin Awareness Day. Our school recognized this time by dressing in black and white and placing a focus on endangered species. Peers played the game "Penguin Tower" and completed worksheets. Both activities challenged hand to eye coordination, cognitive skills, group cooperation, counting and more. The need to preserve wildlife worldwide was discussed. 

Here are "everyday efforts" the class comprised:

• Recycle 
• Do not litter/pick up litter
• Connect with and respect nature 
• Turn our yards/outdoor classrooms into an animal friendly space
• Learn about different species
• Share information with others

🧼 SMART START Zoologists eagerly anticipated a visit from Animal Adventures Rescue Zoo. The class collected food and cleaning donations to support the organization located in Bolton, MA. 

🐍 Ed, the owner of the outreach program, arrived with an abundance of animals ranging from native to exotic. Students were introduced to an armadillo, chinchilla, boa constrictor, porcupine, alligator, bearded dragon and more! This hands-on, engaging experience provided the opportunity for pupils to interact with the subject matter up close. In addition, all were fascinated by Ed's expertise on animal behaviors, diets, habitats and shared rescue stories. 

🌍 Regions and ecosystems inhabiting various animal types were explained during outdoor circle time. SMART START recently partnered with an educational company, "Fly Little Dragon" and we incorporated aspects of their Learn & Play Program into our curriculum.

Here are a few facts we learned: 

• Arctic: contains the Artic Ocean, and multiple countries (USA, Canada, Russia) animals include walrus, seal, arctic hare, snowy owl, polar bear and puffin.

• Rainforests: located in numerous countries (Africa, Asia, Australia) animals include: toucan, anteater, sloth, leopard, monkeys, tree frog and snakes. 

• Savannah: hot and dry environment, animals include: elephant, lion, giraffe, cheetah, hippopotamus, zebra and gorilla. 

    Afterwards, activity pages from "Fly Little Dragon" were used to reinforce our lessons. 

🕮 An assortment of themed centers were enjoyed: Monkey Barrell (connect and hang as many monkeys as you can), research display (observe and locate habitats using books and a globe), Hoot Owl Hoot (group effort board game) and a Jungle Puzzle (100 pieces/Kindergarten level). 

🧩 A language arts lesson was integrated into our unit review. Prekindergartners and Kindergartners completed puzzles to sound out, spell and rhyme animal types (Ex: B-A-T & R-A-T, D-O-G & H-O-G). Preschoolers practiced differentiating uppercase versus lowercase letters and their corresponding sounds using jumbo alphabet flashcards. 

🐒We hope you enjoyed reading about Animals Around the World studies🐒

🐅SMART START🐅

All About Cody!

   

    Kindergartner Cody was exceptionally prepared to be SMART START's student of December. Cody completed his 4th "All About Me" assignment to share at school. His expertise and superb public speaking skills were evident throughout each presentation. You are a stellar student, Cody!

Cody's Poster 

Class Presentations

    Cody's 6th birthday celebration at school was a special event. He brought in yummy brownies and goody bags for his friends. Classmates sang "Happy Birthday" to Cody in English and Spanish and gifted him with a science book. 

     At just 9 months old, Cody became one SMART START's earliest students. We have had the pleasure of sharing in all 6 of Cody's birthdays. Cody is the pillar of our S.M.A.R.T character building blocks: service, mindfulness, achievement, respect and trust and is an outstanding leader and role model for his classmates. It has been a privilege assisting you on your educational journey, Cody!

💙SMART START💙