Student Activities

Library Literature Lunch Bunch

Offered throughout part of the year for interested 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.  Students bring a lunch and discuss the book being read by the group.

Cape Henlopen Trip

This fourth grade trip offers the children an opportunity to go seining and learn about the sea creatures in the bay. The trip includes playing on the beach, swimming in the ocean, a night hike and of course a campfire to roast marshmallows.

Culture Fest

This is the culminating event for the 4th grade studies of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece.  The children dress as either an ancient Egyptian or Greek, parade through the Lower School in costume, and work in groups to put together and perform skits based on the Greek myths. Next, as teams, they participate in Olympic Games. Finally, we enjoy a delicious feast of Mediterranean foods to conclude the day.

Literature Based Pilot Program

The fourth grade class participates in a literature based program where they partner with a 4th grade class from Stetser Elementary School in Chester. The classes get together once at each school, get to know each other, and make collages about our buddies.  Then, each class reads Jerry Spinelli's Maniac Magee and the student’s blog their responses to the reading. Finally, the culminating activity was a trip to the setting of the novel: Norristown and the Elmwood Park Zoo.

Lower School Set Design

During the weeks prior to each of the Drama performances of the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes, students have the option to stay after school for one hour, two days per week, to help design and create the sets, backdrops and props to be used for the performances.  The schedule is set up by the Drama teacher and all work is organized and facilitated by the Art and Drama teachers.  The collaboration produces a wonderful synergy of the Arts!

Performing Ensemble Club

3rd and 4th grade students are given the opportunity to join the "Performing Ensemble Club". This Club provides accomplished musicians the chance to work on ensemble music that they would not find in a beginning lesson. The students practice before school for 30 minutes once a week to prepare selections for chapel. They also performed at Dunwoody Retirement Village and the Lower School Art Show.

Pen Pals

The Kindergarten and First Grade classes have a pen pal program with The Penn Alexander School in Philadelphia. The children share letters and activities and talk about the similarities and differences that they observe between the city and the country. The story of Town Mouse and Country Mouse gets the discussion started!

The 100th Day

Every day the Kindergarten children count the days of school. On the 100th Day of school the Kindergarten classes get together for activities to celebrate this special day. Dr. Danial shares a special read aloud, Mrs. Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten, by Joseph Slate and the children break into groups for the 100th Day Olympics (100 exercises), writing a big book called “I would like 100 …”, and many other activities that involve counting to 100.

Earth Day

Every April 22, the Kindergarten participates in the global celebration of Earth Day. The classes come together for special activities that include planting seeds, games, singing songs and making musical instruments from recycled materials. Seedlings planted on Earth day are later planted out in the garden.

Picking apples at Highland Orchards

In social studies the first graders study transportation, exploration and tall tales in North America beginning with walking and the tall tales of Johnny Appleseed. We celebrate his birthday by picking apples at Highland Orchards in Westchester and bringing them back for an apple tasting treat.

The Philadelphia Seaport Museum

First Graders visit the Philadelphia Seaport Museum and learn about the boats that brought the early settlers from Europe to the New World. The children study the arrival of the Pilgrims to Plymouth, Massachusetts and the Wampanoag Indians.

First Grade Round-Up

The First Grade Round-Up is the culmination of the study of explorers, tall tales from the west, the Conestoga wagon and horses that began the roadways from the cities to the country. The entire first grade join together to sing traditional songs and have fun with circle dancing that they learned in music.

Study of the Monarch Butterflies

The First Grade curriculum integrates the study of insects and weather in science and the study of Geography, Mexico, and the website “Journey North”, where the first graders track the amazing monarch butterfly migration to Mexico. The students also send paper butterflies to children from Canada, the United States and Mexico as friendship ambassadors. Finally, the students plant tulips in the Sid Buck Community Garden to track the coming of spring and the return of the Monarch butterflies.

Newscast

This program allows fifth graders the opportunity to use new technology while researching, producing, and filming a lower school TV news program. The telecast runs approximately every other week with the students meeting two times a week before school to work. This is an optional activity but one that has had tremendous participation.

Car Wash

The fifth grade car wash is a fundraiser to help raise money for the lower school yearbook as well as the class gift from the fifth grade.

Sleepover

The activity offers fifth graders and their teachers an evening of fun, games and food at school. This year a new tradition was started by playing a “Minute to Win It” game from the hit NBC show.