Every year each of our classes holds an exhibit that highlights the learning that took place over the course of a unit. The children are engaged in helping set up, and for the older children, deciding what will be exhibited and how. The children become curators and docents as they welcome their families and peers into their classroom-turned exhibit space. As our school year comes to a close we thought we would take a look back at the exhibits from our 2017 – 2018 school year.

Cottontail (Infant) Class – Hats Exhibition 

Our youngest class became very interested in hats as they began wearing sun hats in the spring and summer months. This interest turned into a unit, and the group enjoyed finding hats in the museums and the community. Their exhibit featured photos from their visits, hat art, hats they love to wear, and an interactive piece where children and families could create their own hat out of bowls.

Duckling (Infant) Class  – Healthy Living Exhibition 

The Duckling class spent a few months learning about aspects of healthy living including exercise and food. Their exhibit included lots of helmets (one of their favorite items from their lessons on bikes), bread dough that they made, and the “Duckling Bodega” full of pretend food the class had explored.

Toucan (Toddler) Class – Space Exhibition 

The Toucan class went out of this world for their space unit. They set the mood for their exhibit by dimming the lights, and having lots of options for the children to play with, while also showing their families about which concepts they had. For example, there was a moon surface sensory bin (kinetic sand and rocks painted by the children) and a box with string lights for imaginary stargazing.

Dragonfly (Toddler) Class – Nature Exhibition 

The Dragonflies were very busy this year learning about all things nature. They took their exhibit outside of their classroom and into our school garden. They displayed art including; snail sculptures, nests and flowers. The children and their families also had several activities to partake in together such as, planting a flower and making lemonade.

Penguins (Twos) Class – Garden Exhibition 

The Penguin class was also influenced by the warm weather and put on an exhibit about gardens. They showcased their many artworks pertaining to gardens including mosaic sunflowers, a flower collage and painted butterflies.

Firefly (Twos) Class – Hats Exhibition 

When a child is two-years-old they become more aware of their bodies and all they can do. The Firefly children were no exception, and their interest in their bodies led to a unit exploring bodies inside and out. Their exhibit included large outlines of their bodies with organs they had learned about over the course of the unit.

Koalas (Threes) Class – Ocean Exhibition 

The Koalas dove deep into the ocean this year and put on a splashy exhibit for their families and friends. Their exhibit showcased photos and descriptions from the many concepts they explored and had activities for the families to do together such as,sailboat making. They also sang a song about pirates to top it off!

Wallaby (Threes) Class – Food & Restaurants Exhibition 

The Wallaby class spent much of the spring learning about food and restaurants. They visited many local restaurants and even started their own herb garden. During their exhibit, the classroom featured artwork and photos, while another part of the school was transformed into an Italian Eatery complete with homemade pasta (with the herbs they grew).

Cinnamon Bears (Fours) Class – Performing Arts Exhibition 

The Cinnamon Bears spent the cold winter months learning about many aspects of the performing arts. They wrote their own play, Three Little Aliens, based on The Three Little Pigs. They created their costumes and sets, and performed their play at the National Museum of American History for their families. Afterwards they had a cast party and exhibit in their classroom featuring photos that documented their process creating their production.

Honey Bear (Fours) Class – Film Exhibition 

Meanwhile, our other four-year-old class, the Honey Bears, also spent their winter learning about performing, however they focused on film making. They wrote and starred in an original movie, Super Honey Bear Magic Forest, based loosely on Super Happy Magic Forest. After premiering their movie at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, they came back to the classroom to share  how they made their movie with their families.

Kindergarten Class – Hats Exhibition 

To round out their year, the kindergarten class wrote and performed the play, The Case of the Missing Teachers. The play recapped their major units of exploration throughout the year including, Ancient Egypt, Hawaii and human origins. They even included a Pepper character as they had recently met Smithsonian’s robot, Pepper, and were keen to include her!

---

We can’t wait to see what will be explored in the 2018 to 2019 school year!