May kicked off with our Kindergartners creating and delivering May Day flowers containing messages of appreciation for every staff member. As part of the World Around Us special, facilitated by Allison Wiedman, DEIB Coordinator, Kindergartners discussed what it means to be a part of a community and ways to show appreciation. They talked about May Day and how it is a way to not only celebrate spring but also recognize the hard work and labor people pour in to their communities.
This sparked so much joy for the children and they were beyond delighted to gift these flowers to staff.
On the second floor of Greene Towne, there is a beautiful display, a collaborative effort between the Kindergartners and Lower Elementary class. During their World Around Us class, Kindergartners decorated colorful koi wind socks called koinobori in honor of Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day), which is celebrated annually on May 5 and recognized as a national holiday in Japan. It is part of a grouping of holidays called Golden Week, with Kodomo no Hi being the last holiday held during the week and emphasizing respect and reverence for who children are as people and focusing on their joy and happiness.
Traditionally, koinobori would use specific colors to represent fathers, mothers, and children. In the spirit of celebration and following the child, students were given open ended options to use whatever colors and illustrate whatever patterns they so chose creating a rainbow of beautiful koi. They swim playfully amongst lily pads, created by Lower Elementary, in a prismatic koi pond.
Spring Family Social at Smith Memorial Playground
Our final family social of the school year was fun-filled at the wonderful Smith Memorial Playground. Thank you to our Parent Association for hosting our families!
Grandparent & Special Friends Day for Primary & Lower Elementary
This annual event is a wonderful opportunity for Primary and Lower Elementary students to bring their grandparent and/or special friend to visit their classroom and to showcase their work.
Auction Art Gallery Walk
Greene Towne families and their guests had the chance to see the extraordinary art that our Greene Towners created before they were auctioned off at our May 15th Auction & Social.
The Cycles of Life: Butterflies & Chicks – A Greene Towne Tradition
Experiences that help encourage empathy, kindness, and an appreciation for living things
Butterflies
Each Spring, Greene Towne has a yearly tradition of bringing caterpillars into the classrooms for the children to observe and learn about the life cycle of a butterfly. The wonder in their eyes as they experience firsthand how the caterpillars grow and transform is so special. Before the Painted Lady Butterflies were set free, children held them one last time.
Chicks
Each May, it has been an annual tradition for our Primary classrooms to host chicks from Quiver Farms for about two weeks. Our six Primary classrooms each received incubators and eggs. During the first week, children tended to the eggs and waited in anticipation. By the second week, the energy from the Primary classrooms was palpable and lots of chirping could be heard from the classrooms! Children welcomed the chicks by having some fun naming them and also participated in a variety of works involving the chicken’s life cycle to better understand the process chicks undergo. Some of the chicks paid a visit to both our Lower Elementary and Toddler classrooms. Toddlers were particularly curious about the chicks and learned how to gently hold them.
Kindergarten
Final Lunch Around the World – Haiti & Turkey
Thank you to the Desarmes/Felter (Haiti) and Farwell/Ozer (Turkey) Families for hosting our final Lunch Around the World for the Kindergarten class.
HAITI
Menu: Soup Joumou — a beloved traditional Haitian soup, often shared in celebration of freedom and independence (calabaza squash, carrots, potatoes, turnips, celery, cabbage, rigatoni, and vermicelli)
Activity: Designing and coloring Haitian flags, and learning a traditional Haitian dance
TURKEY
Menu: Potato burek. Rice & chickpeas; Meatballs (ground beef and spices, no egg); Tomato-cucumber salad; Dried apricots
Activity: Turkish read-aloud and an egg carton tulip craft 🌷
Field Trip to Morris Arboretum
While the final Kindergarten class trip was soggy, it didn’t dampen the joy and fun the children had exploring. The guide invited children to touch the water and gave them each a penny to toss into the fountain and make a wish. They also had a chance to touch a Japanese bell near the entrance.
Lemonade Stand & Bake Sale
The weather was hot for this year’s Lemonade Stand & Bake Sale. Kindergartners helped to squeeze lemons, label cups, take cash, and hand out goodies to customers. This end-of-year tradition gives Kindergartners the chance to practice real-world skills. Plus, they learned about what it means to give back and voted to support a group focused on helping people who experience homelessness. We are pleased to share that $375 in proceeds will go to Project HOME, a Philadelphia organization dedicated to ending homelessness in our city.
Lower Elementary (Elm Tree Class)
Camp Onas
As a celebration of the school year and time together, our Lower Elementary class visited Camp Onas for team building activities and time in nature.
Rock & Troll Performance
In partnership with MacGuffin Theatre & Film Company, Lower Elementary students, who have been taking a weekly theater classes, poured their hearts into knowing their lines, songs and choreography, and wrapped up the school year with a spectacular performance of Rock & Troll. They also invited our Kindergartners to observe their dress rehearsals as they prepared for the big day.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support them!
Greene Towne Spirit Day
Our very first Greene Towne Spirit Day was a huge hit! Students, staff, & families wore green or Greene Towne gear to show the world what it means to be part of this community.
