It’s hard to believe that we’re already in the month of November at The International Preschools! September and October were very busy months at IPS, with lots of fun activities and (hurray!) several in-person family events. Here’s a look at what’s been happening at IPS over the last few weeks:
We welcomed parents back into the school building for our annual Curriculum Night. Here, parents were able to take part in a sample of activities that their children participate in every day. They also learned about what’s to come in the year ahead. Here, the Green Room (3s) parents take part in “Table Time,” where the children work individually or in small groups every day. Table Time allows the children to strengthen many skills, including fine motor, visual discrimination, and pre-math. The Pre-K class poses for a group photo before our United Nations (UN) Day sing-along celebration in the gym…the first in-person UN Day since 2019! The children (and grown-ups!) were invited to wear clothing that represented their culture or heritage. This could be in the form of traditional dress, a sports jersey, or even a tee shirt.Parents, children, and teachers came together in the gym on October 25th to participate in our UN Day celebration. There was a multilingual sing-along, as well as dancing and movement with our students and families. The sing-along was lead by Mr. Doug, our music teacher.We’re seeing double! Two of our Junior Kindergarten friends dressed as Elsa for the PA’s Halloween party in Central Park. Many children, parents, and siblings attended this event, which included a bubble show!The Halloween festivities continued on the 31st of October! The children (and teachers!) came to school dressed in their Halloween best. The Red 2 class posed with their teachers to display their costumes!Members of the Ajna Dance Company visited IPS in November to celebrate Diwali. We read a story about Diwali, watched a dance performance, and then joined in to dance as well! Here, the Red and Green Room teachers and students pose with the Ajna dancers.
We are looking forward to many more exciting in-person events over the next several weeks, including our annual Winter Solstice Sing-Along in December!
Take another look inside our wonderful school! Or, if you are ready to join the IPS community, apply online on our website.
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.
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.
Red Room children pose with their collaborative Earth project. The children painted the Earth green (for land) and blue (for water), and then adhered the flags that represent their families.
The International Preschools celebrated United Nations Day last week with a virtual sing-along in each classroom, as well as United Nations-related activities via Zoom. See below for some photos of the creative festivities!
Pre-K children work on a collaborative Earth painting.A “world” created from “people” of many different colors, holding hands!United Nations Day Sing-Along with Mr. Doug and the Red Room kids and teachers!Green Room children participate in the UN Day Sing-Along.The Green Room children say hello to their families via Zoom during the UN Day celebration.Pre-K children get ready to sing!Classroom view of the Zoom for the United Nations Day Sing-Along……and a “parents’ view” of the screen during the UN Day celebration!
Happy United Nations Day to all!
Interested in joining the IPS community? Take a look at our two locations by clicking here.
Already decided to be a part of next year’s United Nations Day celebration? Apply online here!
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.
Red Room children in traditional dress at 76th Street for United Nations Day
The International Preschools held its annual United Nations Day celebrations this week. Children, teachers, and family members entered IPS dressed in clothing that represented the countries that they identify with; this clothing ranged from soccer jerseys to traditional dress. Families in the Red, Green, Pre-K, and Junior K classes gathered together to sing songs in a variety of languages such as Portuguese, Hebrew, Mandarin, and Serbian, to name a few.
Happy United Nations Day!
Afterwards, the children and their guests enjoyed an international potluck for each class that parents had contributed to. Many teachers also provided an activity for children and families to engage in that helped demonstrate how IPS teaches children about United Nations Day. The food was delicious, the singing was vibrant, and the day overall was, as always, a wonderful experience!
Continue reading to view photos from both locations’ United Nations Day celebrations!
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.
Creating a flag collage in honor of United Nations Day.
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.
The International Preschools ends the 2016-2017 school year on Wednesday, June 7th…and what a wonderful year of play-based learning it has been! Here’s a look back on some of the fabulous events of the past school year…
September: We welcomed the new school year by getting to know the daily routines in our new classrooms…not to mention, meeting new teachers and friends!
October: Fall units and our annual United Nations Day celebrations took place at all three locations. Classrooms began their international “culture share” units, asking parents to join the class to teach about a holiday their family celebrates.
November: The American holiday of Thanksgiving was celebrated via themes of family, food, and friendship. Food, clothing, and toy drives took place, teaching children in a hands-on manner about the importance of helping those less fortunate in and around New York City.
December: The concepts of “light” and “dark” were explored in honor of our Winter Solstice celebration. Families were invited to IPS to take part in a sing-along and international potluck during the holiday season.
Happy United Nations Day! Our UN Day celebrations have been an annual tradition at The International Preschools since the founding of the school in 1963. The themes of peace, friendship, and acceptance run through the 2s, 3s, Pre-K, and Junior K classes at all three locations during this time of year. Here is a window into some of the classrooms for you to see the fun and various way students are preparing to celebrate this unique tradition.
The International Preschools Blog is an opportunity to journey into the school's classrooms. Here you will find information about play-based education, diversity, classroom themes; all the things that make learning joyful and fun at one of the best preschools in New York City.
