Although every season is special, isn’t there just something about fall in Baltimore? Pumpkin spice vibes aside, autumn evokes warmth in a different way than summer does. We happily don cozy sweaters, make hearty soups, and watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for the umpteenth time.
The New Century School students certainly embraced it—learning about and being inspired by the changing landscape and weather all throughout the month of October (and ongoing).
(F)All About TNCS!
The fall theme was everywhere in amber, crimson, and gold touches; seasonally themed reading materials; and, of course, autumnal decor from preschool up through middle school. An activities-packed month harvested smiles galore!
“Monster”sorri!
Preschool Coordinator Terriann Lane implemented fall-themed work stations in the preschool classrooms, tying together the Montessori principle of the work cycle with the current season. Keeping it relevant, in other words!
Each station focused on the development of motor skills in some way but also incorporated wonder and joy—all while enhancing concentration skills (and maybe throwing in a little anatomy lesson!).
“Hammering nails into a pumpkin builds fine motor skills, concentration, and hand-eye coordination. It is seasonal work,” said Ms. Lane. Needless to say, it’s a favorite!
Students also practiced washing pumpkins, which Ms. Lane characterized as “a seasonal Care of the Environment Practical Life multistep work that develops concentration, coordination, order, and independence and develops fine motor skills.”
Finally, “the Art area,” explained Ms. Lane, “is the hidden curriculum where fine motor skills are strengthened and concentration, coordination, order, independence, and creativity are developed. In Primary, the study of color theory also has seasonal activities as the children work to mix colored water, paint, and Playdoh (separately of course) to make the secondary color orange using primary colors red and yellow.”
In fact, pumpkin painting may have tied nailing the pumpkins for favorite activity. Teacher Jia Liu’s Plumeria Classroom (as well as others) in particular enjoyed themselves very much. Liu Laoshi said:
The children in our 2–3-year-old class have started to notice the changes in weather and temperature—they now know they need to put on a jacket before going outside. As we enter the fall season, we’ve been collecting leaves and doing lots of gluing and coloring activities. And of course, fall wouldn’t be complete without pumpkins! Some of the children even told me they went to a farm to pick pumpkins. They used brushes to paint the pumpkins and decorated them with colorful materials—it’s a wonderful way for them to express themselves.
Book Character Dress-Up Parade
An annual favorite since TNCS first opened, this chance to put on a costume and show it off through Fell’s Point never disappoints—neither onlookers nor participants. Staff even got in on the action in a big way this year, too! And this year, TNCS students got lucky: the parade day fell on Halloween, making it extra fun and closing out what was an absolutely flawless fall!
Immersed will be back soon with lots to be grateful for in November!