Weekly Update January 23 - A Peek at Our Week of New Adventures at Fox Hill School: Journeying Through Antarctica!

Reminders:

• February 16-20 - February Vacation - NO SCHOOL

Exploring Antarctica Through Play, Art, and Literacy in Preschool

This week, we completed our study of Antarctica, diving deep into this icy continent through books, sensory play, art, and hands-on exploration. This engaging unit supported early learning across literacy, fine motor development, science, and creative expression.

Learning About Antarctica Through Books

We began by reading Here Is Antarctica by Madeleine Dunphy, which introduced children to the unique landscape, climate, and wildlife of Antarctica. The vivid illustrations and simple explanations helped children visualize a place very different from their own.

In addition, we explored many nonfiction books about penguins, sparking curiosity about how these animals live, swim, and survive in cold environments. Reading nonfiction texts helped children build background knowledge, expand vocabulary, and learn how informational books work.

Building Literacy with Antarctica Passports

To reflect on their learning, students dictated and illustrated what they learned about Antarctica. Teachers recorded each child’s words alongside their drawings, strengthening the connection between spoken language and written text.

Fine Motor Skills and Sensory Exploration

Our Antarctica study included many opportunities to strengthen fine motor skills, which are essential for writing and self-care tasks. Children practiced these skills by using tongs to carefully pick up plastic penguins and seals, moving them from the “ocean” to the “icebergs.” We used plastic penguins in salt trays to form letters, combining tactile exploration with early letter recognition. Together, these playful activities helped build hand strength, coordination, and focus while keeping learning joyful and engaging.

Science and Problem-Solving Through Play

During block play, children used blocks and penguins to create structures that allowed the penguins to dive into the ocean. As they built and tested their designs, children engaged in problem-solving and critical thinking while developing early engineering skills. This collaborative play encouraged communication and teamwork as children shared ideas and worked together. Along the way, they experimented with balance, height, and movement, adjusting their structures as they tested and refined their ideas.

Creative Expression Through Art

At the easel, children painted icebergs and their favorite Antarctic animals, exploring color, texture, and shapes. Painting at the easel provides a meaningful way for children to express what they learned while developing their creativity.

From Antarctica to the Outdoors

Spending time outdoors in the winter offers preschoolers valuable opportunities for learning, movement, and independence. Getting outside in colder weather encourages children to explore nature in new ways, notice seasonal changes, and enjoy fresh air and active play. Putting on snow pants, boots, coats, and mittens gives children the chance to practice independence as they learn to manage their winter gear with growing confidence. While it can take a little extra time, these moments build perseverance, problem-solving skills, and a strong sense of pride. We worked hard to put on our winter gear and played in the snow! We used shovels and snowball makers to scoop up the snow.

 Rhythms of the Land: Beats and Rhythms

This week, we started our Rhythms of the Land music unit. We sang, moved, and played resonator bars. We learned the terms beat (an ongoing, steady, repetitive pulse) and rhythm (the sequence and timing of long and short sounds of silences), and listened and moved to musical examples of both. We listened and moved to examples of Native American music that uses drums, bells, and voices. We spoke and echoed rhythmic words and phrases. Lastly, we learned and identified finger numbers for keyboard playing!