Primary Room 5
January 2026
Happy New Year! Students were excited to return to school and eagerly shared stories and adventures from their winter break. We welcomed the new year with new friends, fresh routines, and exciting lessons ahead.
In January, our learning journey took us to Europe, the world’s second smallest continent. We explored its physical regions, including grasslands, mountains, temperate forests, polar regions, and plains. Children enjoyed recognizing famous landmarks and popular foods such as the Eiffel Tower and pizza. They were especially fascinated by Europe’s castles and learning that many were once homes to kings and queens.
We also spent time learning about flowers and their important functions. As a group, we dissected a lily flower, observed its different parts, and noticed its sweet smell. Students learned how flowers support pollinators, which led us to explore the life cycle of a butterfly. The children were thrilled to receive classroom caterpillars and enjoyed observing their changes over several weeks.
In Science, we learned about the states of matte, solids, liquids, and gases. Students discovered how matter can change when exposed to cold, freezing, or hot temperatures through hands-on discussions and examples.
Lastly, we had a special visit from Coconut Dentistry in celebration of Dental Month. Students learned the importance of brushing and flossing twice a day to keep their smiles healthy and bright.
December 2025
December was a month full of celebration, learning and fun in Room 5. We explored South America’s countries, cultures, festivals, rainforest animals and plants. Students observed South America’s countries has many beautiful colorful birds and colorful buildings. Students explored different animal life cycles this month. Learning about the life cycle of a bee and the life cycle of a fish (salmon) was a favorite! Students also explored geometric shapes and solids. Students observed that most shapes have sides and points except for a circle/sphere.
December took us to celebrate holidays around the world. We briefly discussed about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and Diwali. We learned when and how these different cultures gather to celebrate their holiday and traditions – from eating traditional food, having meaningful items, gifts, lights and stories. We also discussed how dance and music are important parts of celebrations in many cultures. We shared how music brings joy! We closed out our month of celebrations with a fun spirit week, a special visit from Santa and a pizza party - the children were thrilled!
November 2025
November was a month of learning about our country. Students learned the United States is a country of 50 states, the third largest country in the world and made up of mountains, deserts, rivers and great plains. Students were introduced to the American flag and learned about its symbols and what they represent. We discussed each star representing a state and thirteen strips represent our thirteen colonies. Students learned the Pledge of Allegiance and explored United States currency – dollars and coins.
During this month we also learned about all weather and extreme weather forms. We discussed how weather can change every day, or even throughout the day. Students learned some types of weather can be very strong and very dangerous, and the importance of taking precautions so that we can stay safe. For Thanksgiving, students made turkey headbands and placemats for their Harvest Feast. Students painted gratitude hearts and shared what they’re thankful for. We ended our month with a special feast with friends and teachers.
October 2025
October was pumpkin season and learning about North America. Students learned where we live and where North America is located on the colored globe and the oceans that surround us. We learned about its animals, plants, popular landmarks and indigenous cultures. Students shared photos of places they’ve visited in North America such as New York, The Statue of Liberty, Yellowstone, Golden Gate Bridge, Disneyland and Hollywood. We celebrated indigenous people’s day making paper headbands with feathers and learned they were the first people to live in a place and are the original caretakers of North America, with a deep connection to the land. From there, we explored some of North America’s animal kingdom of vertebrates and invertebrates. We dove deeper into vertebrates and learned how to classify a mammal, fish and bird by observing their characteristics.
October was a fun month learning about the pumpkin life cycle and its parts. Students made their own pumpkin observations using their sight, touch and smell. From there, we dissected the pumpkin and explored its inner parts. For fun, we carved a jack-o-lantern out of it and the students named him Whitey! October was also a month of celebration celebrating Diwali, our Harvest Carnival and Halloween. Students were thrilled to come to school in their special outfits and costumes to celebrate a festive time with their teachers and peers!
September 2025
What an incredible start to the 2025-2026 school year in our Primary classroom! Teachers and students were thrilled to be back in their classroom environment and to see new and returning friends and families. Students were quick to notice new jobs on the shelves and went straight to work.
September was learning All About Me and our families. Students practiced introducing themselves, sharing some of their favorites such as food, color, and what they wanted to be when they grew up. They also shared characteristics about themselves and shared their family photos. From there, we explored our five senses – touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. For art, we made “All About Me” faces using a paper plate, handprints inspired by Andy Warhol and our literature book The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.
Students had an introduction to plants and animals. We learned ways to take care of a plant by tending to its leaves and checking its soil for watering. We discussed the basic needs a plant needs to grow and parts of a plant through hands on activities. Students also tended to the garden beds in our playground and weren’t afraid to get their little hands dirty. We explored pictures of living and non-living things and discussed characteristics on how to identify something that is living or non-living. Can it breathe? Can it move? Can it eat? Can it grow? From there, we explored animals and their parts. We also learned how animals communicate using sounds and body language. We focused on our special subject of the month – the life cycle of a frog – and learned they are born with gills, undergo a remarkable change and develop lungs to breathe air.
Warm regards,
MS. April and Ms. Ariana
September 2025
Summer has come to an end, and what an eventful season it was! We enjoyed countless water play days, and the kids were huge fans of the water slides. We were thrilled to have a magician visit us, along with some fascinating reptile friends. The Vista Sheriffs also stopped by to show off their patrol car, which was incredibly exciting for the children. These visits tied in perfectly with our “Community Helpers” theme week.
Our Fridays were extra sweet with popsicles, and the summer was packed with fun crafts, from bracelet making to creative science experiments and lively dance parties. One of our favorite projects was painting with balloons during Solar System Week—it was so much fun exploring different painting tools!
Summer wrapped up with an unforgettable Field Day, complete with a playground overflowing with foam. The kids had a blast diving and playing in the foam—it was a truly memorable way to end the season.
We are beyond excited to start the new school year, especially with our Spanish Immersion class! The children are already eager to use their Spanish, and their enthusiasm for the classroom is so rewarding. Thank you to all the parents for enrolling your children in this program. I am thrilled and proud of all the fun learning experiences we have planned ahead!
Curriculum for February:
Geography/History: Africa
Botany: Fruits
Zoology: Animal Habitats
Sciences: Sound and Gravity
Literature Program: "Little Blue and Little Yellow" by Leo Lionni
Enrichments:
- Art
- Computer
- Cooking
- Music
- Gardening
Reminders:
- Please check your child's bin to ensure they have weather appropriate clothes and they are the correct size- please label all your items
Upcoming Dates:
Martin Luther King Day
January 19, 2026
School Closed
Valentine’s Day Parties
February 14, 2026
9:45am – 10:45am
President’s Day
February 16, 2026
School Closed
Professional Development
February 17, 2026
School Closed
Open House & Parent Info Night
February 24, 2026
3:30pm – 5:30pm
School Closes at 3pm
Re-Enrollment Packet Due
March 16, 2026
Book Fair
March 16-20, 2026
Spring Break
March 30 - April 3, 2026
School Closed