In our recent unit, first graders worked on developing their fine motor skills by using hammers to nail in the happy face images that they painted last week. This hands-on activity not only enhanced their motor skills but also encouraged creativity as they added nails for hair, arms, and legs.
During the first six weeks of school, pre-kindergarteners have been raising monarch caterpillars! This unit of study has offered all kinds of learning opportunities for Belmont Day’s youngest students, including imaginative play, scientific observation, and data collection. Most importantly, it has helped to cement a culture of care into our
A number bond is a model that shows the relationship between three numbers: two parts and one whole. First graders have been exploring number bonds and discovering how the two parts combine to make the whole. Understanding part-whole relationships is a foundational math concept that will be used throughout the
Last Friday, students in third, fourth, and fifth grade all met in the Downing Gym for our annual camping event! This year, the theme was writing. Students rotated through stations marked with (fire-free) campfires to work collaboratively alongside mixed-grade peers on a variety of activities. The writing stations included collaborative
What is energy? Where does the energy in roller coaster cars come from? Does a coaster’s height affect its speed? These are some of the questions fourth graders are asking in science class. To answer these questions, students have been making “bumper coasters” and running a series of experiments with
In math, kindergartners are building a strong foundation with numbers 1–10. Students are exploring how numbers can be represented, composed, and compared through hands-on activities and games. We are beginning to explore addition and subtraction using concrete materials, including Cuisenaire rods, and practicing how to represent our thinking. Dice games
Fifth grade science class has kicked off with the study of food chains and food webs in our local communities, such as parks, woods, and backyards. Students are looking to answer the question, “What would happen if all the ants disappeared?” Fifth-grade scientists played a matching card game designed to
In second grade, we have been working on building our community and using our collective intelligence to create norms and guidelines to ensure friendship, fun, and learning for all. After reading This Plus That, Life’s Little Equations by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, we created our own equation of 29 + 2
To start the year, first graders are creating a painted rock garden on the Belmont Day School campus. First, the students entered the trails on a hunt for a rock that was just the right size and just the right texture for them to paint. Next, the rocks needed to
At the start of the year in physical education, we like to give our students challenges that require communication, concentration, timing, and quick reflexes. One of the best activities for this is the scarf exchange. Students work with a partner and are each given a scarf. They stand a few
