Our Students Deep Dive into Lit, Music, and Latin America

First Grade Dives into Waiting
First grade has been participating in an author study of Kevin Henkes' books; analyzing central themes and ideas throughout the stories. These themes include being kind to others, listening to and respecting all, learning how not to worry all the time, and more! Kevin Henkes has written many popular children's books, including some you may recognize: Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, Sheila the Brave, and Chrysanthemum. During their Deep Dive, first grade chose to focus on the book Waiting.

Waiting is one of Henke’s newer publications, 2015, and won a Caldecott Medal which recognizes the most distinguished American picture book for children during that year. This book is about 5 friends: an owl, pig, bear, puppy, and rabbit all waiting on a window sill for something to happen. Waiting represents imaginative play, seasons, friendships, surprises, and patience. Waiting is something everyone has to do, but it can be especially hard for children, which is why this book makes such a great focal piece for our first graders.

Ms. Alli Flores, Art Specialist at Jacksonville Country Day School, has chosen to recreate the characters in the book through ceramics with first grade students during their time in art this week. Ms. Flores demonstrated to the students how to carefully sculpt their animals of choice and then let them create their own figurines. This project is a fun hands-on activity that, like the book, will take patience. Although it only takes a few days to sculpt, it takes several more days for the projects to dry, to be fired in the kiln, to dry again, and then be cooled. When the wait is finally over, first graders will have animal figurines they can sit in their own window sills at home just like in the book Waiting.

Third Grade Deep Dives into Latin America
Third graders have been studying Latin American countries leading up to their Deep Dive. To prepare for their week with Señora Leonard our students learned the geography of these regions through labeling and coloring Central and South American maps. They also recognized and labeled the major bodies of water surrounding these countries while learning about the biggest, tallest, largest and smallest countries, peaks, rivers, deserts, and waterfalls.