The Goldfinch School is a full-day preschool program for children ages 2-5 in Seattle, WA
Operating as usual
05/01/2024
Additional Art photos from our Earth Weeks!
2's and 3's class channeled their inner Matisse with their vivid snail paintings, made Earth Day headbands, and learned about categorizing recycling, trash, and composting!
Our Pre-K class molded flowers and leaves into clay to leave impressions and later painted those.
04/29/2024
For the next two weeks we will be embarking on the journey of gardening and learning about what goes on below the dirt! Stay tuned to see all that we will explore.
Our students are now officially Stewards of the Earth!
After spending two weeks on Earth and learning how to care for it, our students are ready to lead the charge to take care of this planet we all call home.
Featured here are some STEAM activities that allowed us to explore, touch, smell, and learn about different aspects of caring for Earth.
Our Pre-K class made seed balls with wet paper and planted them in one of our outdoor pots (and we are eager to see what grows!). They also did an experiement with milk, dishsoap, and food coloring. Here, we learned about hypotheses and each student gave their prediction on what would happen with our Liquid Earth.
The Pre-K students also learned about oil spills and what happens to animals in the ocean. Not only that, but they learned how difficult it can be to clean an oil spill! We had three methods: spoons, sponges, and cotton balls. Each student got their hands dirty (with cooking oil and cocoa mixture) and tried to clean the oil out of the ocean.
The 2's and 3's class got to get a bit messy too!! They explored the texture and feeling of dirt and learned about planting seeds!
Happy Earth Day!
As we embark on our second week of learning about the Earth and how to care for it, our students will learn about the history importance of Earth Day.
Featured here is a STEAM project from our Pre-K class. We've used a pie pan with baking soda and vinegar with food coloring to create our very own Earth. By dropping the vinegar mix onto the baking soda, it bubbles up and leaves a land and water formation.
04/17/2024
Now that Spring has officially sprung, here is a recap of some art and STEAM activities from Spring and Rainbows week!
Our Pre-K class took a dive into the inner works of how the sun interacts with water to create a rainbow. We experimented with a mirror, water, flashlight, and paper to try and create our own rainbows. We also expressed our spring feelings into watercolor flowers which now decorate our class room. Finally, we exercised our fine motor cutting and gluing skills making bunnies!
Our 2's and 3's class experimented with color mixing and tape shaping making some beautiful eggs. In keeping with the theme of spring, we practiced delicate touching creating some of Seattle's most anticipated spring blooms--the cherry blossoms!
During the third and fourth weeks of April, our focus will be on Earth stewardship. Students will engage in activities that highlight the importance of recycling, composting, and caring for our planet. We'll discuss exosystems and the role each of us plays in preserving the Earth for future generations. This theme is especially timely as Earth Day approaches, providing a perfect opportunity to instill environmental values.
04/12/2024
Here we have our Pre-K class making shamrock collages with tissue paper (this was the Friday before St. Patrick's Day!) We also made bird feeders that our students were able to take home and put in their yards.
Have you ever painted with a feather? Well, our Pre-K class did! They were able to explore different painting techniques with feathers. They experimented with what end of the feather to paint with, what textures it created, and also color mixture.
Our 2's and 3's class worked on a lovely string of birds to decorate their classroom!
04/10/2024
Behold these masterpieces of our 2's and 3's class! 🎨✨ The vibrant tree mural, with sponge-painted leaves, was a collaborative effort that brought out the creativity and teamwork of our young artists. But that's not all - they also channeled their inner Picassos to paint whimsical birds on paper plates, honing their fine motor skills and understanding of shapes. Through using patterned shapes, our students also explored a variety of bird shapes, showcasing their incredible imagination and skill.
Happy Spring Break! This week we are going to catch up on some of the art and STEAM projects we have done so far. Our students engage with art and STEAM daily through play-based curriculum and structured art time. They are such busy bees it is hard to share everything they are learning, but now is our chance to catch up!
Featured here are some STEAM activities from our Bodies and 5 Senses unit. Our Pre-K class experimented with food coloring, straws, and balloons to learn how the heart pumps blood through our bodies. Each student got to create a model heart that pumped "blood" from one jar to the next!
Our 2's and 3's class did many puzzles and sorting activities about the body. Here, you see a 5 senses wheel, where students worked on their matching skills to put the correct items with the correct sense. They also paired X-rays with body parts and did a puzzle that shows the different "layers" of our bodies!
04/03/2024
Introducing Miss Kylie, our Assistant Teacher for our Pre-K class (and also our social media manager). You will often see Miss Kylie giving high-fives and laughs to her students!
04/01/2024
This week our students will embark on the journey of Spring and Rainbows. We will welcome the new season with fun, colorful, and flower-filled art and STEAM projects. We will dive into what makes spring unique, springtime activities, and discover how rainbows are made. We will also be sure to stop and smell the blooming flowers outside!
03/31/2024
Walk through some beautiful works of art our students worked on the past two weeks!
In our Pre-K class we learned about X-rays and made our very own by tracing our hands and using Q-tips as the bones. We also made a full body X-ray using watercolors and crayons! We explored puffy paint brains, used flowers as a painting medium, made collage self-portraits, and decorated salt eggs.
In our 2's and 3's class, we did spring colored water painting and textural collages. We also used colored ice as a painting medium, and experimented to see if the ice would paint or not, and why.
03/27/2024
We always love to hear our student's conception of time!
Does it feel like the 90's was 2000 years ago to you?
03/20/2024
More about our school!
03/18/2024
For the next two weeks we will be learning about the intricacies of our bodies and the significance of healthy habits. We will learn about the senses, functions of organs, and the importance of nutrition and exercise in maintaining a healthy lifestyle!
03/13/2024
Thank you Teacher Liz for all that our do. Your students clearly love you, and your commitment to your students is commendable.
03/11/2024
Valentine's Day was almost a month ago but we are still very much so feeling the love here! Heart creations from Valentine's Day and our Valentine's bags. We had so much fun sharing Valentine's and having some treats!
03/11/2024
Birds: Week 1 Wrap-Up🌟! A flock of excitement soared through our classrooms as we welcomed expert ornithologists, who shared an up-close experience with live bird specimens, captivating our students. Our students in the 2's and 3's classes embraced their inner artists, coloring vibrant birds, crafting cozy nests, and creating delightful bird feeders. Meanwhile, our Pre-K explorers ventured into the world of bird watching with their handmade binoculars and brought their imagination to life with stunning 3-D pastel birds. Stay tuned for more feathery adventures! 🐦🔭✨
| Thursday | 8am - 5:30pm |
| Friday | 8am - 5:30pm |