This Fall, our classrooms have taken advantage of local places to visit in our community. Our K/1 class recently visited Shelburne Orchards, to pick apples and observe apple cider making in action. When they returned to the classroom, they made amazing apple sauce and recipe books to share! Learning about Vermont History, the 2/3 class spent a day at the Shelburne Museum to experience life in early Vermont; they made beeswax candles and churned their own ice cream! The 4/5 class had a fabulous day for a class hike up Mt. Philo. We are so fortunate to have so many learning opportunities in our own backyard!

As part of their year-long study of Vermont, our 2/3 Stem students are learning about wetlands and the Lake Champlain Basin. They tested samples from McCabe Brook, located just behind Vermont Day School, to measure phosphorous, nitrates, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. They also did an experiment to demonstrate how wetlands act as a filter for taking out pollutants and nutrients, as water flows from the Brook into the Lake. The class has decided to create an educational video to share their findings with others and to provide suggestions for reducing pollution in our watershed. Stay tuned!

 

On Wednesday, September 15th, Vermont Day School participated in Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, inspired by Peter H. Reynold’s book, The Dot! Students came to school dressed in dot attire, created dot art work and talked about how they wanted to “make their mark.” It was an exciting and inspiring day for all!

 

This year, several of our students who live in Burlington are riding the CCTA bus to Vermont Day School each morning. The bus stops right in front our school and the timing works out perfectly!

To kick off the school year, students at Vermont Day School met for an assembly to decorate this year’s time capsule and add their information to the vessel. They each completed a questionnaire designed to capture their currents interests (i.e. favorite song, book, movie etc.), hopes and dreams. They also measured and recorded their height. It will be exciting to “find” the time capsule at the end of the school year and for the student’s to discover how much they have grown (literally and figuratively!).

 

Woohoo! We are so excited to start the 2016-2017 school year with amazing students, parents, and faculty on board! We are all looking forward to an outstanding year of learning and growing ahead!