Primary 4

May News

In May, we’ll be learning about whales, migration, and exploring South America—its animals, plants, and landmarks. Our story of the month will be The Very Hungry Caterpillar as we learn about butterflies and watch their life cycle in real time with our own butterfly eggs! For enrichment, we’ll explore the art of Claude Monet and enjoy music by Fanny Mendelssohn.

April Recap

We learned all about Australia, including its unique animals like kangaroos, wombats, platypuses, and dingoes. We also discovered the Great Barrier Reef and explored how volcanoes help create islands. The children enjoyed learning about the life cycle of a plant, as well as some of the interesting plants found in Australia. Our book of the month was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom—a fun, rhythmic story about the alphabet. In music, we listened to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and had fun using primary colors to decorate our own stars. We also celebrated Easter with a festive egg hunt on the playground!

March Recap

March was filled with so much excitement! We had a blast learning about dinosaurs and were amazed by how massive they were. We explored the differences between carnivores (meat eaters), herbivores (plant eaters), and omnivores (animals that eat both). We also discovered how different dinosaurs protected themselves from predators and kept their young safe.

We had tons of fun dressing up for Dr. Seuss Week and reading many of his beloved books. They’re always a joy to read and listen to! We also learned about Africa—where it is on the map, the animals that call it home, and the diverse climates it has to offer. Plus, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day! What a jam-packed month of learning and fun!


As a special treat, we had a wonderful time doing hands-on activities to bring our lessons to life. We made dinosaur fossils, created fun art projects, and participated in exciting group discussions. It was a month full of creativity, teamwork, and plenty of memorable moments that will last for a long time.

February Recap

February was filled with excitement and exploration! Our theme for the month was Cultural Awareness and Friendship, and the children were thrilled to dive into the importance of building friendships. They had the opportunity to learn about the unique cultures of their peers and share their own cultural backgrounds. We also explored the fascinating culture and famous landmarks of Asia.

The kids had a blast creating art projects inspired by both Valentine's Day and Asian culture. Our Valentine’s party was a highlight, with snacks, cards, and goodies shared among friends. As part of our literary journey, we read Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni. After the story, the children had fun mixing blue and yellow to discover the new color they created together.



Our enrichment program was a big hit, offering the children a chance to learn in a more focused setting. In Spanish, they learned words related to Valentine’s Day. In music, they explored the life of Johannes Brahms and practiced understanding the concepts of forte (loud) and piano (quiet). The children’s favorite activity in cooking was making a creative ship using apples, sun butter, and Rice Krispies cereal.

January Recap

What an exciting month we’ve had! We explored the world of winter animals and hibernation, learning about creatures that thrive in the cold and those that hibernate during the winter months. Some animals, like polar bears, penguins, and Arctic foxes, live in the Arctic, where ice and snow are a constant. Others, such as certain bears and bats, enter a state of hibernation—a deep sleep that allows them to conserve energy and survive the harsh winter.



The children enjoyed learning about how animals adapt to their environment. In the classroom, the theme of winter inspired many activities. The children discovered fascinating facts about polar bears, including their ability to swim in frigid waters and care for their cubs. Our literature focus this month was The Mitten by Jan Brett, which beautifully illustrated which animals live in snowy climates, which hibernate, and how they stay warm during the cold months.

Enrichment activities added extra fun and learning to our month. In Cooking, the children enjoyed making a bear in a cave, using Graham crackers, sun butter, and Teddy Grahams. In Spanish, they learned words for different types of weather and practiced counting. In Music, the children traveled back in time to explore Beethoven’s work and used rhythm sticks to recreate one of his songs. In Art, the children learned about Vincent van Gogh and created their own versions of Starry Night.

December Recap

December was fun! We started by learning about the celebrations around the world for our topic of the month, Season, and Holidays. This theme was a perfect way to teach our kids about the different holiday traditions other people celebrate and why they might celebrate that specific tradition. The children were able to make art for all different types of holidays. Children brought an item and showed us what they celebrate. Children were excited to share with friends. Children enjoyed showing off their singing and dancing in our Winter recital. We were delighted to have our parents come in and enjoy the show. Our literature book was The Giving Tree is a story about giving. 

We had so much fun during enrichment classes. The children made snowman bananas and Reindeer Celery. Spanish was a blast too the children learned about holiday vocabulary as well as shapes and colors! Children Enjoyed listening to Peter LlyichTchaikocsky’s Nutcracker and other compositions that made a lasting impression. The artist of the month was intriguing to children, Edgar Degas most paintings depict dancers, and we made our own colorful dancer. 

November Recap

November was a month of growth and exploration in the classroom, centered around the theme "Virtues and Values." The children delved into concepts like truthfulness, helpfulness, and teamwork, fostering a sense of community and empathy. To support these discussions, the peace table and rose were introduced as tools to help children express their feelings and resolve conflicts. These additions created a safe space for open communication and problem-solving. The literature of the month, Fill a Bucket by Carol McCloud, further reinforced these values by teaching responsibility, courage, and empathy in a way the children could connect with.

The classroom also took a journey through the United States of America, learning about its 50 states and the symbolism of the U.S. flag. The children discovered that the red and white stripes represent the original 13 colonies, while the 50 white stars on the blue field symbolize the current states. This introduction to national symbols helped the children develop a deeper understanding of their country. The cultural exploration didn’t stop there. The class celebrated Veterans Day by honoring the brave men and women who have served in the military. Thanksgiving brought lessons about gratitude and togetherness, with activities like creating colorful turkey headbands and a thankful tree, which helped the children reflect on what they’re grateful for.



Nature also played a significant role in November’s learning. In Botany, the children studied the parts of a tree and the differences between deciduous and conifer trees. They learned that deciduous trees lose their leaves annually, while conifer trees keep their needle-like foliage year-round. This hands-on exploration of nature sparked curiosity and appreciation for the changing seasons.

Enrichment: Music, Art, and Cooking

Enrichment activities in November were equally engaging and creative. The children explored jazz music, learning about its unique rhythms and some of its most famous musicians. Using rhythm sticks, they practiced keeping a beat and set rhymes like "Jack and Jill" and "This Old Man" to music, discovering the joy of rhythm and sound.

Art was another highlight this month. The children studied Jackson Pollock’s splatter technique, also known as the drip technique, and created their own masterpieces using primary colors. They also made vibrant turkey art with chalk and crafted colorful woven placemats, blending creativity with fine motor skill development.

Culinary adventures rounded out the month, as the children made tasty fall-inspired treats like Apple Pie Rollups and Pumpkin Pie in a Cup. These hands-on activities combined sensory exploration with the joy of sharing delicious creations.

October Recap

October was an exciting month for children, they learned about space, planets, and astronauts. And the important job the sun has for our planet earth. We made our own colorful diagram of the sun and planets. We also learned about North America, the continent we live on. The animals of North America was an exciting subject for children and learning about the nocturnal animals around the world. Children learned about landforms. Children learned about the life cycle of the pumpkin. Children also learned about the parts of the pumpkin, as they help with taking out the seeds of a real pumpkin.

For the enrichment, children also learned about the parts of the pumpkin, as they help with taking out the seeds of a real pumpkin. They also made delicious and nutritious snacks during the cooking class. Children learned the difference between a note and rest in music. And learned about Camille-Sait- ‘Saens, he composed the Carnival of the Animals. Children got to listen and try to figure out the animals being portrayed in the music. We learned about the artist Picasso and children created our own Picasso pumpkin art. As well as making their own colorful webs. 

September Recap

What a fun start to the school year. The children enjoyed meeting new friends and seeing friendly faces. We learned a new song about the continents. We learned to recite the months of the year, days of the week and ABC sounds. The theme was All About Me and we learned about our friends’ favorite foods, color and animals. Each child had brought in a family picture to share with the class. We talked about apples and the lifecycle and parts of the apple. A fun activity our class did was tasting different types of apples to see which was sweet and which one was sour.



We also began our Enrichment program, which includes learning about a different composer as well as art projects, cooking, Spanish, and computers. We learned about the different sounds of the Orchestra and played a game trying to figure out which sound was which. In Art, children made an Andy Warhol art making a colorful handprint art. We learned new Spanish words based on All About Me. In our Cooking class. children made a delicious apple pie in a cup. We also enjoyed our reading time with the literature book, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

Summer 2024 Recap

During July and August, the classroom was a hub of creativity and exploration, all centered around the theme Summer Fun. Each week brought a new adventure, transforming the classroom into a lively space where learning and fun went hand in hand. The summer began with Party in the USA, where children explored the science behind fireworks, created handprint American flags, and dabbled in slime-making. 

Next, during Camping week, the children learned about animal tracks, crafted binoculars, and sang Going on a Bear Hunt. The classroom was filled with the spirit of adventure, as the children engaged with nature-themed activities that brought the outdoors inside. Outer Space week took the children on a cosmic journey. They created booklets about the planets and learned how they orbit the sun. Their artistic side shone as they made Night Star Art, capturing the wonder of the universe. 

The classroom then transformed into a farm for Down on the Farm week. The children learned about animal families and the origins of food, all while singing along to Old MacDonald had a Farm. This week was a perfect blend of education and fun, offering a peek into farm life. The underwater world came alive during Under the Sea week. The children explored ocean animals, the anatomy of a seahorse, and a fish, deepening their understanding of marine life through engaging activities. 



Volcanoes took center stage next, as the children learned about the different parts of a volcano, the distinction between lava and magma, and crafted their own volcano art. The summer wrapped up with an Olympic-themed week, where the children learned about the history of the Olympics and crafted an Olympic Handprint torch, celebrating the spirit of teamwork and achievement that had defined their summer.