Category: Classroom Themes

Observing (And Learning!) About The World Around Us

Red Room children use magnifying glasses to closely observe the parts of a flower.

The changing of seasons helps children embark on a learning adventure by employing their five senses. From the Red Room (2s) to the Junior Kindergarten (4s/5s), the children in every classroom are asked questions about what they see, feel, hear, smell, and taste when introducing a new season.

At our 86th Street location, some classes have started learning about the caterpillar-to-butterfly life cycle! Here, a child observes the caterpillars, as well as a life cycle chart.

Now that the spring season has arrived, the students are applying their senses to learn about what changes have occurred. How does the weather feel when you go outside? Do you need a heavy coat, or a light jacket? What do the trees look like? Are there leaves on the trees? What else do you see (flowers, animals, green grass)? What do you hear when you are outside (i.e. birds chirping)? Thinking about, and utilizing, the five senses helps children make connections between the world around them and the themes that they are learning about in the classroom.

In the Green Room, students observe the life cycle of plants by using a special translucent container. This way, the changes underneath the soil’s surface, such as the forming of roots, can be seen.

The next time you are out and about with your child, be sure to ask them some questions about what they are seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. It will open up a world of learning, as well as provide a prompt for meaningful conversation!

Want to learn more about The International Preschools? Take a look inside an IPS classroom on our website.

Ready to join the IPS community? Apply online today!

IPS Classrooms: January-March 2021

Classes at The International Preschools resume on Tuesday, April 6th, after a two-week spring break. Before the final stretch to summer begins, please enjoy the following snapshots of our IPS students hard at work in our classrooms. Happy Spring!

  • Red Room Family!
  • Dancing with our friends…
  • Experimenting in Pre-K
  • Art
  • Multi-step art project
  • Harold and the Purple Crayon project
  • Ribbon Dance in honor of Lunar New Year
  • Art and Sensory Boxes
  • Circle Time
  • Spider webs in honor of Eric Carle
  • Bingo! in Junior Kindergarten
  • Block building
  • Art work sample
  • Whole group activity
  • Green 2 weather activity
  • Making Mat Man from our Handwriting Without Tears program
  • Board games
  • Snack time!
  • Sensory trays with “instant snow”
  • Collage art
  • We love our new masks!
  • Art work display
  • Magna-Tile masterpiece!
  • Movement in Green 1
  • Small group games in the Green Room
  • Rain experiment in Green 1
  • Scientists in Pre-K 1
  • Making a volcano in Pre-K
  • More volcano making…in another Pre-K class!
  • Blue week in the Red Room

Learn more about our play-based curriculum, read a letter from our director, or better yet, apply online for the 2021-2022 school year by visiting our website!

Caterpillars to Butterflies at IPS

Creating butterflies with coffee filters in Pre-K 1!

A spring curriculum tradition at The International Preschools is to learn about life cycles.  Every year, IPS teachers receive caterpillars and/or ladybug larvae and, through observation, watch these tiny animals transform into butterflies and ladybugs respectively.  Although COVID-19 has prevented us from maintaining this tradition in person, our crafty teachers were able to still take part in this amazing unit via Zoom (and their homes)!

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Earth Day is Every Day (Even Remotely!) at IPS!

Pre-K Earth Day art!

The International Preschools celebrated Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22nd.  Though we are weeks into our remote learning experience, the children were able to immerse themselves in the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling…and taking care of the Earth…with the help of their amazing teachers!

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Winter Solstice at The International Preschools

Pre-K students working on a collaborative moon project in honor of the Winter Solstice.

December has arrived, and with that comes holiday preparations, gift giving…and, at The International Preschools, the annual celebration of the Winter Solstice.  The Winter Solstice marks the day with the shortest amount of daylight and the longest amount of darkness.  Traditionally, the Winter Solstice celebrates the return of the sun, as the days following the solstice contain more minutes, and ultimately hours, of daylight, culminating with the Summer Solstice (the longest amount of daylight in one day of the year) in June.

Curriculum at IPS during December focuses on the concept of light and dark while integrating aspects of the holiday season.  Many of the holidays that our families celebrate, from Diwali to Hanukkah to Christmas, cherish light sources such as candles and lanterns; the

Exploring outer space in Pre-K!

se items act as icons of the season.   In some cultures, people choose not to use electricity on the Winter Solstice and rather, live by candlelight on this day.  Nature is also revered during this season and within the classrooms; traditionally, evergreen trees are decorated because they are seen as the “eternal symbol of life during the dark months of the winter.”  They are referred to as Yule Trees or Winter Solstice Trees and are decorated with symbols of light (i.e. sun, moon, star ornaments; candles) as well as pinecones and garlands filled with food for animals during the winter months.

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Halloween 2019 at IPS!

86th Street students pose in their Halloween costumes!

The fall season at The International Preschools is filled with many different events, from Curriculum Night to United Nations Day to Thanksgiving, not to mention Parent/Teacher Conferences, Diwali, Thanksgiving…the list goes on!  Of course, the year would not be complete without celebrating a holiday that the children (and teachers) look forward to all year…Halloween!

Here at IPS, our 76th Street and 86th Street locations commemorated Halloween in a variety of ways.  Keep reading to learn about our Halloween curriculum and view photos from Halloween 2019!

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United Nations Day at The International Preschools

Green Room children play “Flag Bingo” in preparation for United Nations Day.

In late October, The International Preschools commemorates United Nations Day with a school-wide celebration.  United Nations Day is special to The International Preschools because more than 50 years ago, our school was created in order to assist families who were affiliated with the United Nations.  IPS (back then, known as IPG, The International Play Group) gave families who were new to the United States a place to come together, to make friends, and to acclimate to a new culture.  Today, IPS honors our roots by hosting a multi-lingual sing-along for families and children, as well as an international potluck.

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Field Trip Fun at The International Preschools

An IPS class visits the New York Botanical Garden.

Spring is high season for field trips at The International Preschools! Our students thoroughly enjoy attending class trips and look forward to doing so every year.  New York City (and its surrounding areas) provide a wealth of opportunity for extended learning within our school curriculum and for making connections between home and school.  Read on to see where we’ve been and why we went!

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Every Day is Earth Day at The International Preschools!

Creating a collaborative spring project using paint and collage materials. The green and blue colors represent the land and water of the Earth respectively.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd every year, but at The International Preschools, we believe that Earth Day is every day!  Although a special curriculum focus is placed upon taking care of the Earth throughout the month of April, the skills learned by the children are meant to be used every day of the year.  Topics such as plant and animal life cycles, recycling, gardening, and keeping the Earth clean are touched upon inside of our classrooms during this time.  Continue reading to learn more about the concepts that IPS students are exploring throughout the spring months!

 

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76th Street Museum Night at The International Preschools

76 Pre-K 1 created a replica of the Empire State Building for their New York City-themed book study.

Families observing the Pre-K 3 exhibit at the 76th Street Museum Night.

On Tuesday, April 9th, The International Preschools’ 76th Street location hosted its second annual Museum Night for the Green Rooms (3s) and Pre-Kindergarten classes (4s).  Museum Night first took place in 2018, as a Green Room function. Families were invited to observe artwork, photos, and other projects created during each class’ curriculum theme.  Pizza was served and children were invited to dress up for this special evening celebration!

This year, our Pre-K classes joined the Green Rooms in displaying work from their winter author and book studies. Read on to find out more about this special event!

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