What an exciting and meaningful week it has been in Savanna! After working so hard for the Sports Festival last Friday, the Savanna students had the opportunity to look back on their favorite memories. We talked about the moments they enjoyed the most and invited them to draw their memories on large sheets of paper. Many of them chose the Paraballoon performance and the running race as their favorite moments. Some of their comments were, “I liked the Paraballoon performance because it was fun,” and “I liked the running race because I ran very fast.”
We also had a lovely time at Lavender Park, especially since it had been a while since our last visit. The children enjoyed having the freedom to play and explore together, and they had a great time playing tag with our Rainforest friends. As we continue our Small Creatures unit, the children have become increasingly interested in the tiny creatures they find around them. Whenever they spotted an insect, we could hear excited voices calling, “I found a ladybug!” “I saw lots of caterpillars!” and “I saw colorful butterflies!” Their curiosity has encouraged them to observe nature more closely and share their discoveries with their friends and teachers.
In our UOI lesson, we continued exploring “Ways people help and protect small creatures.” After playing outside, the Savanna students noticed that there was rubbish in the pictures of the small creatures’ habitats. They immediately became curious and asked, “Huh, what’s this, Ms. Fronie? Why is there trash here? Who did it?” After a short discussion about how rubbish can affect small creatures and their habitats, the class decided to work together to clean their habitats. We also discussed how our actions can help keep small creatures and their homes safe. The Savanna students shared thoughtful ideas such as “Observe them quietly” and “Touch them gently.” Based on their ideas, we created a poster showing ways we can care for small creatures. Through these experiences, the children are developing as Caring and Principled learners, understanding that even small actions can make a difference.
Our inquiry also continued through music. The children sang The Sound of Insects and The Moon with enthusiasm. Recently, they have been listening carefully to the sounds of insects outside and excitedly sharing what they hear. It has been wonderful to see how their curiosity about small creatures is extending beyond our classroom and into their everyday experiences.
As we prepare to celebrate Grandparents’ Day on September 21, the children also learned that this is a special time to remember the kindness and love their grandparents show them and to express their appreciation by saying “I love you” and “Thank you.” To make the day special, the children created cards for their grandparents. They folded origami paper and carefully cut it into strips to make beautiful cosmos flowers. Everyone enjoyed making the craft while thinking about their grandparents. They also drew pictures of their grandparents and shared what makes them special. Happy Grandparents’ Day! 💖😍
Something that made us smile was seeing many children include small creatures in their drawings, such as dragonflies, butterflies, and ladybugs. Some children explained that their grandparents love small creatures too! 🦋🐞 This was a lovely connection to our current inquiry, showing how the children are beginning to connect their learning with their own experiences and relationships. Through these activities, the children have been showing curiosity, kindness, appreciation, and care for both people and the living things around them.
What a wonderful week of memories, discoveries, creativity, and caring in Savanna! We are so proud of how the children continue to ask questions, share their ideas, and find connections between their learning and the world around them. 💕🌿
