Tag: multiculturalism

Celebrating the Fall Season at The International Preschools

Fall is a busy season here at The International Preschools. We celebrate the seasonal changes that occur in the fall (i.e. apples, pumpkins, leaves, acorns) as well as the holidays that occur: United Nations Day, Halloween, Diwali, and Thanksgiving.

United Nations Day (October 24th) is a special day for the IPS community. Much of the month of October is spent highlighting and appreciating the multiculturalism that sets IPS apart from other schools. The children and teachers spend time observing what is the same and different about each other.

Preparing for our United Nations Day celebration with families via Zoom in the Pre-K 2 class at 76th Street.

After United Nations Day, our school quickly jumps into Halloween mode, with festivities at both locations. On November 2nd, IPS then celebrated the Hindu holiday of Diwali with Zoom presentations from the Ajna Dance Company, as well as “culture shares” initiated by families who observe the holiday. Rounding out the month of November is the American holiday of Thanksgiving, which is commemorated at IPS with classroom “feasts” as a way of coming together to share a meal with friends.

Please enjoy some highlights from the last month, which includes photos from our classroom learning about United Nations Day, Halloween, Diwali, and the fall season!

  • Happy Halloween from Pre-K 2!
  • Picking pumpkins in the Red Room!
  • We are different, yet we are the same! Multicultural floor puzzle completion.Represen
  • Representing our families’ heritages and traditions on United Nations Day.
  • Happy Halloween from Pre-K 3!
  • Red Room United Nations Day Sing-Along
  • Bringing nature into the classroom via acorns and leaves.
  • Halloween in the Pre-K Room at 86th Street.
  • Creating a whole-group “world collage.”
  • Sampling the “Pancakes From Around The World” snack in the Red Room at 76th Street!
  • Happy Halloween from the 76th Street Green Room!
  • Painting a self-portrait in the Green Room at 86th Street.
  • Happy Halloween from Green 1 at 86th Street!
  • Group painting using corn as a roller.
  • Red Room celebrates United Nations Day!
  • Painting with pinecones at 86th Street.
  • Halloween parade at 86th Street.
  • Exploring with mini-pumpkins.
  • Happy Halloween from Green 3!
  • “Around the World” floor puzzle in the Pre-K 3 classroom.
  • Exploring pumpkin seeds at 86th Street
  • Multicultural floor puzzle with Pre-K 2.
  • Examining the insides of a pumpkin.
  • Shaving cream + mini pumpkin = fun in the Red Room!
  • Representational drawings, using our flags as inspiration.
  • Happy Halloween from 86 Pre-K!
  • Halloween 2021 at 76th Street with the Red Room
  • All About Me bulletin board at 76th Street
  • Halloween Bingo at 86th Street.
  • Painting mini pumpkins at 86th Street!
  • Using a magnifying glass to discover what’s inside of a pumpkin at 86th Street.
  • Discovery Center filled with pumpkins and gourds at 86th Street
  • Learning about pumpkins (and what’s inside) at 86th Street

Ready to join the IPS community for the 2022-2023 school year? Learn more about our admissions process on our website.

October Events at The International Preschools

The first month of school has been a huge success! Over the last several weeks, the children have acclimated nicely to the daily routines at IPS. The children and teachers are building strong relationships and creating a sense of community within their classrooms. The 2021-2022 school year is definitely off to a great start!

What If We Were All The Same! by C.M. Harris is a wonderful book appreciating similarities and differences between people…and is simply worded for young children.

During the month of October, a variety of topics are covered within our classrooms. The overall theme is “We Are Different, Yet We Are The Same,” a nod to the celebration of multiculturalism at our school. IPS was founded more than 50 years ago as a place for those families affiliated with the United Nations to come together as a community. (For more on why United Nations Day is so important to The International Preschools, click here.)

Take a look inside of our classrooms and learn about what’s going on at IPS…

  • The Pre-K 2 children at 76th Street have been working on their cutting skills! The children cut out shapes and tried to follow along the lines while doing so.
  • 86th Street students create their own “world” by painting circle-shaped paper in green, blue, and brown. This activity reflects our overall October theme of “We are different, yet we are the same.”
  • During snack time, children learn to socialize with each other, take turns, taste different foods, and strengthen their self-help skills by cleaning up after themselves. It’s a fun (and educational) time for all!
  • A Red Room student at 86th Street creates a pumpkin using textured paint.
  • An apple-themed project is a big hit in the Red Room at 86th Street!
  • Throughout the entire school year, the children learn about the cultures represented by the students at our school. Here a child at 86th Street plays a matching game with boys and girls of different skin tones, hair color, and eye color. Even though we may look different, we are still children that need food, water, and a home. We are different, yet we are the same!
  • The Pre-K Room at 86th Street spent some time at nearby Carl Schurz Park.
  • The Red Room at 86th Street explored the inside and the outside of a pumpkin.
  • The 76th Street Red Room welcomed the return of the sandbox to the school playground!
  • Green Room children at 86th Street strengthened their fine motor skills by threading beads onto “hair.”
  • The Pre-K 2 children at 76th Street practiced lacing by threading yarn into and out of small holes.
  • In honor of United Nations Day, the Pre-K 2 children created paintings of flags that represent their families.
  • Gross motor skills are exercised on the monkey bars at Carl Schurz Playground!
  • Pre-K classes at both locations began the Handwriting Without Tears program, a weekly foray into the proper formation of uppercase letters.
  • Lacing activities with a multicultural theme! 86th Street students work on their fine motor skills using cards with people dressed in traditional, multicultural clothing.
  • The Green Room children welcomed their first culture share/family tradition of the year. The theme was decorating for the fall/Halloween season.
  • Technology class with Ms. Chelsea started in September for the Pre-K classes at 76th Street. The Green Room children will begin technology classes in January.
  • The 76th Street Red Room prepares for cooking class by wearing IPS aprons!

Be sure to return to the IPS blog next month for more photos, curriuculum, and events taking place at our wonderful school!

Are you interested in joining the IPS community? Learn about the application process by visiting our website.

United Nations Day at IPS: How and Why We Celebrate

The celebration of United Nations (UN) Day is a tradition at The International Preschools (IPS). IPS was established in 1963 for UN-affiliated families who were new to the United States. The school (then called a “Play Group”) was a place for these parents and children to come together and connect with each other.

Families are encouraged to dress their children in traditional clothing from the countries that they identify with. It’s an IPS United Nations Day tradition!

In previous years, IPS commemorated United Nations Day with a school-wide sing-along and an international potluck. Families and children dressed in clothing that represented a multitude of countries. The sing-along consisted of songs in languages from around the world. Each family also contributed a dish for the international potluck, which was enjoyed with fellow families.

IPS music teacher Mr. Doug leads the children, teachers, parents, and caregivers in a school-wide sing-along. The children learn songs in a variety of languages from around the world, from Spanish to Korean to Hebrew!

UN Day is a time-honored tradition at IPS and is looked forward to every year. For 2020, however, there will be some changes. Due to social distancing guidelines, we won’t be able to invite our families into school as we have in the past. We won’t be able to enjoy the delicious potluck as in previous years. We are planning to host a socially-distanced sing-along for our students; parents and families will be invited to join us via Zoom. Our celebration will look different this year, but we are confident that it will still be just as fun!

A sample from last year’s delicious international potluck!

Next week’s topic: how the children at IPS learn about UN Day in their classrooms.

Want to take a peek into the IPS classrooms? Visit our website gallery by clicking here.

Celebrating Lunar New Year at The International Preschools

Lion dancers (left and above) perform at IPS in honor of Lunar New Year.

The International Preschools welcomed some special visitors this week.  We celebrated Lunar New Year with a performance by lion dancers at all three of our locations on Friday, February 1st, to commemorate 2019 as the “Year of the Boar.”

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Culture Shares and Family Traditions at The International Preschools

The culture share curriculum kicks off with our United Nations Day celebration, where children wear clothing that represents the country that their family identifies with.

Sharing and celebrating each other’s family traditions and cultures is an important part of the curriculum at The International Preschools.  Our mission statement expresses that “at The International Preschools, where English language learners are welcomed and supported, children and families from New York City and all over the world share their cultures and gain a sense of international awareness through mutual understanding and respect.”  This objective is achieved via a variety of events and activities that occur throughout the school year.

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Celebrating Lunar New Year at The International Preschools

lunar-new-year-2017The observance of holidays from around the world has long been a tradition here at The International Preschools.  This week, each of the three locations commemorated Lunar New Year with school-wide celebrations on Friday, January 27th.  The holiday, celebrated in most Asian countries, is also called Chinese New Year and honors a different animal in a 12-year cycle.  2017 is the “Year of the Rooster.”

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Why We Celebrate United Nations Day at The International Preschools

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Families celebrating United Nations Day at The International Preschools.

Each year, the faculty, staff, parents, and children of The International Preschools come together to celebrate a special holiday:  United Nations Day.  More than 50 years ago, The International Preschools was created as a way to assist international families who relocated to the United States.  Formerly known as The International Play Group, the school opened locations throughout Manhattan and Queens.  Today, we celebrate United Nations Day as a way to commemorate IPS’ inception and to introduce our students and families to the many cultures that make up our school community.

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