Weekly Update January 16 - A Week of Discovery at Fox Hill School: Exploring Antarctica, Art, Music, and the World Beyond

Reminders:

• January 19th - MLK, Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL

• February 16-20 - February Vacation - NO SCHOOL

At Fox Hill School, learning comes alive through hands-on exploration, meaningful conversation, and joyful play. This week, we wrapped up our exciting journey to Antarctica while also branching out to imagine new places to visit around the world. From science and literacy to art, music, and cooking, each activity supported critical developmental skills in a playful and engaging way.

Exploring Antarctica Through Books and Play

We continued our Antarctica study by reading The Antarctic Habitat by Bobbie Kalman. This nonfiction book introduces young learners to the unique environment of Antarctica and the fascinating animals that call it home. After reading the book, we were fascinated by the diverse array of animals unique to Antarctica, particularly penguins, orcas, skuas, leopard seals, albatrosses, and even tiny krill!  

To reinforce this learning, we played an animal matching game using pictures of Antarctic animals.  For preschoolers, matching activities are not only fun, but support early problem-solving skills, build confidence, and encourage children to slow down and think carefully. These games lay an important foundation for future academic skills like reading, math, and logical reasoning.

Creative Expression: Symmetrical Inkblot Penguins

In art, we created symmetrical inkblot penguins by painting a B shape on paper.  We then folded the paper, making a print on the other side, which created a penguin shape! We added eyes and beaks to our creations using glue sticks. Each penguin was unique and adorable! This art project supported our fine motor development, visual-spatial awareness, and allowed us to be creative!  It was so much fun to see our penguins emerge from black and orange paint lines.

Expanding Our World View Through Literature

As we are ending our time studying Antarctica very soon, we need to decide where to go next.  To help do this, we read This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe. This beautifully illustrated book follows children from different countries around the world, showing how they live, eat, learn, and play.  After reading, we came up with a working list of places to visit next that included France, Australia, the “deep dark ocean,” Aruba, the North Pole, and Canada. These conversations help children develop global awareness and practice expressing their thoughts and ideas.  Next week we will travel to a new place based on this list. We can’t wait to see where in the world our next adventure takes us!

Music and Cooking: Jazz Kitchen and Homemade Noodles

In Music, we wrapped up our Jazz Kitchen unit by making “noodles from scratch.” The children learned that pasta is made by mixing flour, eggs, olive oil, and salt, kneading the dough, and shaping it before cooking. We used Ms. Melanie’s pasta maker to flatten the dough and make spaghetti. It was delicious!

Learning Through Play at Fox Hill School

This week was a wonderful example of how integrated, play-based learning supports the whole child. Through reading, art, games, music, and cooking, we practiced critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration—skills that will serve us for years to come.