April was BUSY!
These are a few of the wonderful things that transpired within the halls of KAS in the month of April. Poetry. Solar Eclipse. Earth Day. Performances. Celebrations. Field Trips. And so much more!
Every month at KAS is always a flurry of activity, and April is no exception. As we prepare to finish the year strong, we continue with meaningful learning activities, showcasing the musical talent of the students, field trips, and of course, fun.
The Arts have been on full display at KAS! On Friday, April 26, KAS students impressed staff, faculty, and parents with a tremendous display of singing, dancing, and musical performances. Ms. Rachel’s musical talent and her keen ability to choose the performance with each grade level’s interest and education in mind was apparent and instilled in each student. It was so lovely to see the support of parents and watching the students shine.
If you walked into the Art room at any given time of the day there has been a flurry of activity. Students have been working extra hard finishing up many creative projects all to be unveiled to the public on May 17th. Be sure to mark your calendars and join the KAS Community. The young artists will be on hand signing autographs.
In Spanish the students are understanding that not all families are the same and what makes a family can be different from each other. Of course they are learning new Spanish vocabulary to describe su familia. The Middle School students are creating menus for their food trucks with a logo that was designed by each student using the assistance of AI.
April was also so wonderful because Ms. Jeanette has been the most wonderful addition at KAS as the Kindergarten teacher. You walk into her classroom and you would think Ms. Jeanette has been with the students from day one! Let me tell you the young scientists have been busy! As Kindergarten finishes up a science unit on plants, the young scientists have been busy exploring the wonders of our natural world and how to protect our planet. One of the highlights for the young scientists was a hands-on experiment of exploration of the impact of pollution on plants. In groups, students created “polluted” solutions using food dye, alongside a control group of clean water. Each group then placed celery sticks in these solutions to observe the effects. The biggest change is that the art and love of reading is really clicking for the students. Rest time, where early on they might have actually napped has become quiet time where a book or two is on their mats.
First grade in their forever in motion style are appropriately learning about woodworking and transportation. They recently had an awe-inspiring field trip to the Frick Car and Carriage Museum. In math they are studying a unit of time; past, present and future. How wonderful for cross-curricular learning fun as they create a timeline of the evolution of transportation until the invention of automobiles and beyond.
April was poetry month throughout the entire building, But second graders really celebrated National Poetry Month. They examined various styles of poetry and then created their own. The door to the classroom was often closed to block out the hallway noises so the little poets might think and create. They were unstoppable, to the point that they had to narrow down to 10 poems each before going to print. Yes! They created a compilation of work from each student into their very own Poetry Book. An anonymous and very generous donor provided a book for each student to keep. The published poets and their fearless leader, Mr. Bob, hosted a poetry forum for their loyal followers, the parents. The parents came, visiting different tables learning about a particular style of poetry and then creating poetry for their child to keep. The end of the poetry forum the parents nibbled on snacks, as the students prepared to read their fondest piece of poetry aloud to the audience. Kudos to Mr. Bob, what can I say? T’was a wonderful day!
When the universe gives you a lesson, Mr. Minh plans lessons accordingly. The stars aligned for some extraordinary learning and teachable moments. Third grade has been studying and learning about the Earth, Moon and Sun. They also learned about philosophers and discussed how Aristotle and Ptolemy believed that everything revolved around the Earth and how Copernicus and Galileo believed in the heliocentric system. Just the other day the third graders were busy painting and designing the phases of the moon in their classrooms. An April assembly revolved around the third grade as they presented some very important PSA’s to the rest of the school.
Meanwhile the fourth and fifth graders have been reading some great literature and have been writing and writing. Research papers ranged from the Boston Marathon bombing, Tornados, Climate Change, to Taylor Swift. Then there were fictional stories to write using sequencing of events, rising action, climax, falling action, and plot to tell their stories. As April ends the fourth and fifth graders are preparing for their final unit of Biz Town and getting ready for their visit to BizTown.
Mr. Cochran and Ms. Massie are busy preparing for the end of the school year with lots to still accomplish before eighth grade graduation. Middle School has been taking trips over to the school garden and working hard on getting it ready for harvest. They began a Literary Circle encompassing Identity & Belonging. There was also a celebration for Nora’s achievement. Nora placed First in the Pittsburgh region for her Individual Exhibit “Sputnik: A Turning Point in American History” in the National History Day Competition at the Heinz History Center. Nora went on to take 5th in the State competition.
Outside of the classroom there was Cafe Week with parents graciously donating their time and recipes to cook for the students. From the children’s favorite Pancakes to a delicious Puerto Rican dish called Pastelon, the delicious aromas wafted through the corridors of the school.
We ended April with Spirit week with each day having a wackier theme. Pajamas on Monday, to becoming your favorite character from a book, to superheroes. Imaginations were running wild.
If you thought April seemed busy, just wait to see what happens in May! Lots more good things to come!
Email now to set up a tour and find out how your child and family can become a part of the KAS community, admissions@kentuckyavenueschool.org.
