Lausanne News - Primary Years Programme
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Category: Primary Years Programme

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Lausanne Junior Kindergartens Connect With Community Members Around Campus

Over the past month, Junior Kindergarten students discovered that connecting with others is the best way to learn more about a community! As a part of their PYP unit of inquiry, Who We Are, the little Lynx learners have been venturing outside the classroom to explore the school and engaging with Lausanne members across campus. "Our JK kiddos have spent this first month of school learning about themselves and the value they and others bring to the Lausanne community," Junior Kinde... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Early Childhood Lower School Primary Years Programme

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Third-Grade Entrepreneurs Prepare For Annual Marketplace

Our third-grade entrepreneurs have been hard at work the last few weeks crafting products to sell at the culminating event for their current unit of inquiry. The students collaborated and worked as a real business, making handmade products to sell at the annual Third-grade Marketplace benefiting a local non-profit.  As part of the Primary Years Programme Finance unit, the project focuses on function, responsibility and causation while learning to know their products and the market. &q... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Thursday, February 18, 2021
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Friday, February 12, 2021

First-Graders Take Science Lesson To Mars

Recently, students in first grade kicked-off the annual Mars Home expedition, a classroom experience that includes studying past and present civilizations and preparing for life on the red planet.   As part of their Primary Years Programme unit, "Where We Are In Place and Time." The first-graders planned for a future civilization on Mars, using their research skills to decide what the needs and wants were for life based on the significant difference between planet Earth and th... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Friday, February 12, 2021
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Third-Graders Practice Geometry Skills In Unique Way

Third-grade students in Mrs. Miller's class started their geometry lesson using a new angle. "Mirror With Words" is a teaching strategy that is part of whole brain instruction and encourages students to be actively engaged in the learning process. The lessons use motions and movements to help students make meaningful connections to vocabulary and were a perfect approach to introduce mathematical concepts. "Many of my students shared some of our &#... Read More
at Thursday, February 4, 2021
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Junior-Kindergartners Create Virtual Art Gallery For Families

Vincent VanGogh, Georges Seurat, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack are just a few famous artists who inspired the bright and beautiful creations displayed in our Junior-Kindergartners' annual art gallery!  In the past, students would share their work by hosting an art show for the Lausanne community, but they had to modify it uniquely this year. The junior-kindergartners set up Zoom meetings to lead their family members through a virtual tour of the gallery to ensure they still had ... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Lower Schoolers Take A Trip Around The Globe To Explore Different Holidays

The first and second-grade classrooms buzzed with excitement as students eagerly opened their hand-made passports and began to explore different holidays and cultures worldwide.  "Do you know how people in Hawaii say Merry Christmas," asked Mrs. Whittaker as students' hands shot up to answer. "Mele Kalikimaka," a student shouted enthusiastically.  As part of their yearly Primary Years Programme (PYP) tradition, Holidays Around the World, first an... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Thursday, December 10, 2020

First-Graders Share Their Culture For PYP Culmination Project

"In India, my name means Knowledge," Vidya Kennedy '32 said proudly, as she pointed to her name on a poster board filled with content about her culture and favorite traditions. Vidya's classmates listened intently to her story while waiting patiently for their turn to share what makes them unique.  In their most recent Primary Years Programme (PYP) unit of inquiry, How We Express Ourselves, students learned about cultures and how we celebrate... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Thursday, December 10, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Monday, November 23, 2020

Fourth Graders Explore American Sign Language

To kick-off their current PYP unit of inquiry "How We Express Ourselves," fourth graders received a special visit from Lower School Learning Specialist Dr. Luanne Sailors.  This unit's central idea focuses on how communication has changed over time, modes of communication and how people communicate differently. During Dr. Sailor's visit, she gave the student's insight into the method of expression she holds dear to her heart: American Sign Language. As someon... Read More
at Monday, November 23, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Senior Kindergarteners Explore Communities Through PYP Unit

Using boxes, paper, scissors and tape, students in Senior Kindergarten built replicas of the communities they have been learning about in class to support their current Primary Years Programme (PYP) unit of inquiry: "Where We Are in Place and Time." "SK students just completed their second Unit of Inquiry, and they built communities for their culmination project," said Senior Kindergarten teacher Rhonda Fullilove. "After learning about the three types... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Friday, November 13, 2020

Second-Graders Explore Materials Of Exhchange

As students in second grade studied the features of American money and money from countries worldwide, guest speakers stopped by to give a little insight into the topic. One of the visitors, Mr. Will Starner, a Lausanne teacher and dad to second-grader Jet Starner, shared the money his family has collected while living overseas. The students also had a virtual visit from Leslie Brucker, second-grade student Sam Seessel's grandmother, and former 4th-grade teacher at Lausanne in the 70s. ... Read More
at Friday, November 13, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme Schoolwide Event

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Lausanne Immigrant Families Speak To Fourth-Graders About Their Personal Experiences

As an international school, many community members at Lausanne have personal immigration experiences.  "We all share in the immigrant history," said fourth-grade teacher Nancy Garriga. "Millions of people have made their way to America, and hundreds of thousands still come each year. We wanted to give immigrant families at Lausanne the opportunity to share their voices." Lausanne Fourth-graders have spent the last few weeks studying the causes and effects of immigra... Read More
at Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Thursday, October 22, 2020

First-Graders Explore Different Habitats At Blue Heron Lake

With clipboards and pencils in hand, students across first-grade adventured around Blue Heron Lake, letting their inquiring minds lead the way as they searched for habitats near the water.  While one first-grader stood on her tiptoes to observe the spiderweb she spotted in a tree, another got down on his hands and knees to watch the ant colony moving through a sand mound. As each student came across a different environment, they moved toward it carefully to not&... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Thursday, October 22, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Second-Grade PYP Unit Heads to Blue Heron Lake

For their first Primary Years Programme (PYP) Unit of Inquiry, Choices, students learn how their decisions impact each other, different resources and the environment. As a culmination, second-graders spent the afternoon at Blue Heron Lake rotating between canoeing, enjoying healthy popsicle treats, and shooting off energy rockets while wearing masks and remaining socially distant. "Second-graders have worked hard on the understanding that the choices humans make impact the wor... Read More
at Tuesday, October 6, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

PYP Unit Encourages Pre-Kindergartners To Learn Through Play

We love beautiful days on campus! Especially when it inspires out littlest Lynx to venture beyond their classroom walls for an afternoon on the lawn learning through play. To encourage the physical play week of their current unit, How We Express Ourselves, Pre-Kindergarten students in Ms. Boyd's class challenged themselves to an outdoor obstacle course. The unit's central idea supports play as a tool for expanding our ability to think, create and express ourselves. Today's activi... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Students Celebrate Becoming Stronger Readers

In honor of first grade wrapping up one of their most recent PYP units of inquiry, the students held a Reader's Celebration. First-graders have been practicing good reading habits and learning strategies to help them work through hard words as a part of their Reader's Workshop curriculum. "We loved having a Reader's Celebration to give them recognition for all the hard work to become stronger readers," said first-grade teacher Christina Mewborn.    To celeb... Read More
Posted by Shayne Dotson at Thursday, September 24, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Second-Graders Explore Solar Energy Through PYP Unit

Recently, Ms. Fessler's second-grade class took advantage of a sunny day on campus and headed outside to explore solar energy and the benefits it can have on the environment.  Students learned how to connect cables to the positive and negative terminals on a hand-held solar panel to generate electricity. The second-graders used their device to watch a wind turbine spin, listen to a music box play and see a lightbulb light up.  "It was such an awesome learning moment when ... Read More
at Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Lower School Primary Years Programme