{"id":21738,"date":"2022-04-21T13:22:05","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T18:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/?p=21738"},"modified":"2022-04-21T13:23:00","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T18:23:00","slug":"lower-school-division-news-april-21-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moundsparkacademy.org\/news\/2022\/04\/21\/lower-school-division-news-april-21-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Lower School Division News April 21, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"from Renee Wright, Lower School Director<\/em><\/p>\n

Grandparents & Special Friends Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are excited to welcome Grandparents and Special Friends to our campus on Wednesday, April 27 from 9-11:30 AM. Research shows that Grandparents have a huge impact on a child\u2019s life. This can also be said about relationships between a child and a senior adult outside of the immediate family who may serve as a surrogate grandparent. As a child grows up, Grandparents serve as a link between the past, present and future. They introduce kids to past traditions, get involved with them in the present and encourage them to shape the future. Grandparents are the best teachers; teaching children how to cook, sew, fish, play games, or do other favorite activities. They share stories that provide life lessons for their grandchildren. Grandparents love attending their grandchildren\u2019s sports, activities, dance recitals, and school concerts and provide much needed praise and encouragement. They listen intently and give wise advice. This day is a huge tribute to grandparents and special friends and a way for us to say thank you for supporting your\u00a0grandchildren or special friends.<\/p>\n

During this special event grandparents and special friends will have the opportunity to visit their child\u2019s homeroom classroom plus two specialist classrooms. Grandparents will get a glimpse of what happens on campus, meet their student\u2019s teachers, view schoolwork their students have created, and participate in fun activities.<\/p>\n

Grandparents and special friends should arrive at 8:30 AM and will enjoy coffee and treats in our Family Commons between 8:30 AM and 9 AM. They will start the day by hearing from our Head of School, Dr. Hudson, and learn more about\u00a0our amazing school. Make sure to register in advance for this special day!<\/p>\n

Monday Morning Meeting Returns to the Family Commons<\/strong><\/p>\n

For two years we have been hosting our Monday Morning Meeting via ZOOM due to COVID protocols here on campus.\u00a0 Even on ZOOM our Monday Morning Meetings have proven to be a wonderful way to start our week and celebrate the joyful learning and fun experiences our students have on campus throughout the week.\u00a0 We are excited to share that for the first time in two years we were able to gather together in the Family Commons for an in-person meeting on Monday, April 18.\u00a0 The meeting follows a specific agenda and helps build community.\u00a0 Being back together was awesome!<\/p>\n

What Do We Do at a Monday Morning Meeting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We started the meeting with BrainDance led by Ms. Espeland. \u00a0BrainDancing to music got our brains and bodies working together. Next our fourth graders shared the success of the Neighborhood Food Drive by showing students a bar graph they made using the data they collected.\u00a0 We have much to be grateful for because our Lower School families came together and donated over 970 pounds of non-perishable food items. Later in the meeting our Kindergarteners presented what they have been learning in the classroom. Ms. Santiago\u2019s class presented what they\u2019ve learned about the \u201cch\u201d sound and Ms. Petersen\u2019s class shared a book they read about being kind and inclusive.\u00a0 We are so proud of our kindergarteners because they showed so much courage when presenting to the Lower School students.\u00a0 Our fourth grade Word Wizard reviewed four words from our Word of the Week program to build vocabulary and help students be better writers. We ended the meeting by singing and signing the school song to helps us celebrate who we are as a community. The meeting was a joyful experience full of gratitude for one another and a lot of school spirit!<\/p>\n

LOOKING AHEAD<\/strong><\/p>\n