Knights in gleaming armor, princes and princesses, kings and queens! The first graders were dressing up as fairy tale characters in their own unique ways, including wizard beard disguises, knight masks, and princess crowns. They used their creative imagination to design their own disguises out of the materials we provided. Stock paper,

cloth, and a long mesh train were used to make the princess headgear. The knights  masks, which were constructed from stock paper, aluminum foil, and a decorative feather on the side, were equally awesome! We also read a tale about dragons and used air-dry clay to create eerie-looking dragon eyes. They were easy to make and the

kids truly enjoyed making them!

After enjoying ourselves immensely as fairy tale characters, we went traveled Jurassic World. We learned some interesting facts about different species of dinosaurs. We discovered that they lived during the Juracid, Cretaceous, and Triacid periods. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Giganotosaurus, and Spinosaurus are the three largest dinosaurs. They weighed between 13,000 and 22,000 pounds and were between 42 and 43 feet long. After studying dinosaurs, we created fossilized dinosaur footprints and engaged in a thrilling game called: "find the dinosaurs footprint!"

We are grateful to all of the first-grade LEDP families and friends who participated in our Walk-A-Thon fundraiser! We are grateful for all of the donations and support for autism, a very deserving cause!

Reminders:

-We have a 20 min. homework slot Monday-Thursday

-Please send a labeled snack for your child

-Parent pick every hour or half hour

Books:

-Ninja Red Riding Hood By: Corey Rosen Schwartz

-The Three Little Wolves and the Bad Pig By: Eugene Trivizas

-Behold The Dragons By: Gail Gibbons

-Alphasaurs By: Sharon Werner

-It’s Probably Good Dinosaurus Are Extinct By: Ken Raney

The first graders curiosity with the human body has been piqued. We thought it was a fantastic idea to use an educational Power Point that would explain the many parts of our bodies and how they work. We discussed a number of facts, including how our brains assist us in thinking and making decisions.

We discovered that the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right side of the brain controls the left. They believed this to be quite implausible, but it is indeed true! Little minds were blown! Each component of our bodies has a unique role in maintaining our health and strength. Our five senses—sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch—are equally vital. We concluded the theme with an old- fashioned game of Operation after an engaging week of learning and sharing. They had a fantastic time acting like doctors operating on a patient.

In preparation for our Walk-A-Thon, we have been talking to the children about autism. An amazing autistic guest speaker came to LEDP to talk about a book she wrote and explain what it means to have autism from her point of view. The children were actively engaging, asking her questions and sharing what they knew about autism. They discovered that individuals with autism might think and behave somewhat differently, and that both young children and adults can have autism. The children created motivational haikus and acrostic poems on autism for one of our art projects. It was so touching to watch them collaborate to produce such lovely and heartwarming poems.

Reminders:

-We have a 20 min. homework slot Monday-Thursday

-Please send a labeled snack for your child

-Parent pick every hour or half hour

Books we read:

-Inside Your Body By Lowie Stowel and Katie Leake

-I see Things Differently By Pat Thomas and Claire Keay

-Right Now, I Am Fine By Daniela Owen

-My Brother Charlie and Me By Hollie R. Peete and Ryan E. Peete

Its springtime! The grass is becoming green, the flowers are blooming, and bees are pollinating. The first graders have been studying how bees pollinate flowers, what flowers need to flourish and the life cycle of a flower. For one of our activities each child drew a detailed picture of a flower in its surroundings and labeled its components in their journals after reading Gail Gibbons, "From Seed to Plant." We talked about some of the most crucial requirements for a flowers healthy growth. They need air, water, sunlight, nourishment, and room to grow. We thought the children would love sowing their own seeds once they understood how to care for a flower plant. Each kiddo was given a plastic and a biodegradable pot to decorate, along with water, potting soil, and seeds of their choice. Some options included: Purple Prince, Rose Zinnia, Green Envy, Scarlet Flame, and Peppermint Stick. Every youngster was thrilled to be able to plant their own seeds as we demonstrated how to do so. They appeared to be gardeners tending to their own gardens!

Now, we eagerly wait for the flowers to blossom after placing the pots near the window for sunshine. In addition to our seed- planting activity, the children painted their own representation of a cherry blossom tree in its surroundings.They used vibrant colors that gave their paintings a realistic appearance.

Reminders:

-Enjoy your April vacation

-We have a 20 min. homework slot Monday-Thursday

-Please send a labeled snack for your child

-Parent pick every hour or half hour

Books we read:

-From Seed to Plant By Gail Gibbons

-The Tiny Seed By Eric Carle

-Living Sunlight How Plants Bring the Earth to Life By Molly Bang

-Have You seen Trees By Joanne Oppenheim

The past few weeks have been so much fun! We have been learning about the mysteries of Space, Constellations and Volcanoes.

Although most of the children know that we have eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, some were questioning Pluto. After researching Pluto, we learned that it was once considered the ninth Planet until 2006 when it was reclassified as a dwarf Planet. Some fun facts we learned are: we live on earth, Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, the moon is the closest to earth and the sun is a star and a million times bigger than earth.

We did some amazing art projects as well as science experiments. The kiddos drew and cut out the planets, then glued them on construction paper in the same order they are lined up in space. They also wrote some facts about the sun. Making a constellation jar lamp was fascinating! It was such a simple but yet engaging science activity. We gave each child a small plastic jar, a piece of aluminum foil and an LED candle. After putting the aluminum foil in the jar with the LED candle, it looked like a replica of a shinning constellation.

We also discussed what makes a Volcano erupt and where Tsunami’s can be found. After some intense research and science experiments we discovered some interesting answers. Volcanoes are explosive, they gain their shape by the many times they erupt and an earth quake comes before a volcano erupts. Tsunami’s can be caused by underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. As an activity we drew and wrote in our journals what we learned about volcanoes and tsunami’s. For stem we tried a volcano eruption experiment with soda and mento and as a group we played “The Flow Lava game.” The children were super delighted with all the learning and fun!

Books we enjoyed:

-Our Solar System Forward By NASA

-Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket By Sue Fliess

-The Sun and Other Stars By Richard Harris

-A Black Hole Is Not a Hole By Michael Carroll

-Volcanoes and Other Natural disasters By Harriet Griffey

Reminders:

-We have a 20 min. homework slot Monday-Thursday

-Please send a labeled snack for your child

-Parent pick every hour or half hour

In addition to learning and taking part in fascinating science experiments and art projects, the first graders have been very busy celebrating American Heart Month and Black History Month. Painting colorful drawings to Louis Armstrong's  jazz music was a unique art project that the children really enjoyed! As they painted thoughts and

emotions while listening to the music, they were incredibly at ease and creative!

We also emphasized the achievements of Venus and Serena Williams, the famous tennis prodigies and sisters. Serena, the younger sister, became the first black woman to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. What a success! The children were ecstatic to discover that you can achieve your goals if you put in your best effort!

One of the most interesting topics for first graders was studying and experimenting with our hearts. We discovered that our heart is a muscle the size of a fist and the significance of exercising and drinking water to maintain heart health. We used a toothpick and a tiny marshmallow in a simple scientific experiment to measure our

pulse. Every child put a marshmallow on their wrist, inserted the toothpick through it, and waited attentively to see if the toothpick moved. We were all ecstatic to see that the experiment worked! We're having an awesome time experimenting, learning and exploring in first grade!

Books we enjoyed:

-What A Wonderful World By George Weiss and Bob Theile

-Serena the Littlest Sister By Karlin Gray

-First Encyclopedia of the Human Body By Susie McCaffrey

-Magic School Bus “The Heart” By Seymour Simmons

Reminders:

-We have a 20 min. homework slot Monday-Thursday

-Please send a labeled LEDP snack for your child

-Parent pick up is every hour or half hour

The first graders were thrilled to hear some history about the origins of the Winter Olympic Games this year. We talked about how they started in Ancient Greece more than 3,000 years ago. Hockey, skating, and skiing were among of the earliest games. The children were ecstatic to hear that Milo and Tina would be their mascots and that

the games will take place in Italy this year. In addition to creating hockey sticks out of cardboard boxes and painting them in vibrant hues, the children thoroughly enjoyed writing and sketching about their favorite Olympic sport. Additionally, we constructed aluminum foil skiing competitors and used popsicle sticks for the skis. A thrilling and competitive hockey game at the end of the week!

Honoring friendship for the kiddos Valentines week was one of the most entertaining themes. Red, pink, white and purple hearts were used to adorn their individual friendship trees. They created colorful slimy slime for science and personalized Valentines Day cards for their loved ones. They had a great time combining the slime ingredients and adding glitter and confetti to decorate their mixture and make it more

vibrant. For fun Friday, we had a Valentines Day dance party with the kindergarteners in the gym to round off the week!

Have a wonderful and safe winter break!

Reminders:

Please have your child dressed for the weather.

Please make sure your child has a snack for LEDP.

Parent pick up is every hour or half hour.

Books we read:

-Angelina Ice Skates By Katherine Holabird

-The Best of Pro Ice Hockey By Matt Deoden

-The Invisible String By Patrice Karst

-All Kinds of Friends

-Power Point by Janayda

Children frequently use scraps to design or make things; the teachers in first grade thought it would be a great idea if the kiddos became engineers! We decided to split the children into four groups and set a bin with a variety of materials on each table. Our engineers were asked to come up with one idea for an invention of their own. The teachers were listening to their brilliant ideas as they discussed among themselves about what they were going to make. They created life-like objects by gluing different kinds of scraps together. A few of their creations were: a balloon person, a treasure chest, a sea saw, an umbrella and many more items. We made a display of their creations and the compliments we got were amazing! This science theme was a big hit with the

kindergartners!

Snow days are chilly, but they are always quite enjoyable! The kiddos were eager to be back in LEDP and share what they had done after our TWO  snow days! In their journals, they described the various enjoyable activities they engaged in with their family and friends. Among these activities were skiing in Vermont, going sledding with a friend, watching a movie with family and drinking hot chocolate! It sounds like everyone had a busy and entertaining time! We are very much looking forward to what February has to bring!

Books we read:

-What Color is My World By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

-Leo Neo The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci By Gene Barreta

-A Silly Snowy Day By Michael Coleman

-The Hat By Jan Brett

Reminders:

Please dress your child according to the weather.

Please make sure your child has a labeled snack for LEDP.

Parent pick up is every hour or half hour.

Happy New Year!

We hope everyone had a restful vacation and enjoyed the holidays. It is nice to be back at LEDP and seeing the kiddos back at their usual routines with their friends and teachers.

We started our first week by writing in our journals and drawing pictures about what we did over vacation and what goals they have for 2026. The detailed pictures and vibrant colors they used to draw with, spoke for themselves. They were very excited to share the many fun places they visited as well as having playdates with friends, watching fun movies and skiing! Some traveled to Florida, Vermont, New Jersey and Maine. While others had their grandparents visiting them, spending quality time with family and friends is always memorable. Some of their main goals for 2026 include reading more, exhibiting greater kindness, constructing a snowman, and one child aims to express “I love you” to her parents more frequently. This warmed our hearts! After their journals were completed, they did an amazing job taking turns presenting them to the group.

An additional significant theme we explored was recycling. We engaged in a sorting game utilizing plastic, simulated food, and waste. We established three labeled bins and instructed each child to categorize the items into the correct containers. Their enthusiasm was clearly evident as they provided clues to their peers for proper sorting. This activity was both enjoyable and fulfilling. They thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to learn about the importance of maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

Reminders: Please have your child dress according to the weather.

Please send in an extra set of clothes.

Parent pick up is every hour on the hour or every half hour.

A few Books we enjoyed:

-Arthur’s Family Vacation By Marc Brown

-Aqualicious By Victoria Kann

-Just Me and My Mom by Mercer Mayer

If you have a moment, LEDP staff would very much appreciate families to check out our Amazon Wish List (with a link provided on the LEDP homepage). There you will find a lot of LEDP essentials; we thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity. 

Winter is officially here and that also mean's the sniffles are as well! We started the week by talking about the value of washing our hands and the ease with which germs can spread. We worked on covering our sneezes and coughs, counting from one to twenty or singing the ABC song while washing our hands with soap and water. Afterwards we conducted an easy science experiment using lotion and glitter to observe the spread of germs following our talk. We rubbed hand lotion on our hands then placed it over the glitter to see how fast it sticks to our hands. The quickness at which the glitter adhered to our hands surprised the children. This was a great example for the kiddos to see how easily germs are spread. 1st graders were excited to share their knowledge about how germs can make you sick and how there are good and bad germs. We also enjoyed writing in our journals and making germs out of dry clay.

Animals in the winter are amazing! Among the several winter wildlife we studied were polar bears, penguins and foxes. The kiddos were really interested in finding out what polar bears eat, where they live, and how they remain warm in below-freezing weather and as they swim in even colder water! We discovered that they have layers of fur, a thick layer of fat for insulation and that they inhabit the Arctic region of the North Pole. By attempting a Polar Bear Blubber Experiment with food coloring, ice, water, and shortening- the children were able to understand how Polar Bears stay warm all year round.

Reminders:

-Please send an extra set of warm clothes for your child to keep in their LEDP cubby.

-Please make sure your child has a snack for LEDP.

-Parent pick up is every hour on the hour or every half hour. Teachers will remain at the pick-up door for no longer than five minutes, then will bring the child(ren) back to the group to remain in ratio.

Books we enjoyed:

-Over and Under The Snow By Kate Messner

-Hello, Baby Beluga By Darrin Lunde

-Except Antartica By Todd Struggle

-Animal Track and Signs By Jinny Johnson

The Wizard of Oz, a renowned fairytale, welcomed the first graders! As the teacher read this classical chapter book The Wizard of Oz By L. Frank Baum the children were extremely thrilled to learn about the characters and what each one wanted from the Wizard. It was so much fun listening to the kiddos talk about Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the Scarecrow's need for a brain, the Tin Man's want for a heart and the Cowardly Lion's desire for courage. They giggled as they asked each other what they would want the Wizard to grant them. In connection with the story, we used two recycled bottles, water, duct tap, and glitter to create a tornado in a bottle. The children enjoyed watching the water and glitter create a tornado-like swirl as they alternately shook the bottles after assembling everything. We also made fun magic wands and fancy glittery shoes and sneakers. Afterwards, we strolled along the yellow brick road!

The stunning architecture in Barcelona, Spain, greatly impressed Jackie after her recent visit! Sharing some of her experiences with the children seemed like a terrific idea to the 1st grade team. After presenting them with a slide show of my photos and discussing the buildings' exquisite designs, we decided to become Architects. The children created a blueprint for a building they wanted to construct. When their plans were finished, they constructed their homes, schools, and skyscrapers using dry clay! Painting the structures in their preferred colors was the last touch. They were overjoyed to participate in this enjoyable educational event! 

We also wanted to let parents know that LEDP provides a designated homework time and we encourage them to complete their assignment while with us. Furthermore, providing homework help if needed. 

Reminders:

Parent night will be on November, 24th at 5:00 pm. 

We are still accepting chicken, vegetable or beef broth for the food pantry.  Thank you for your support! 

Pick-up times are every hour on the hour or every half hour.

Please make sure your pick-up times are accurate as schedules have changed with the time-change.

Books we enjoyed:

Tornadoes  By Seymour Simon

Look at That Building By Scot Ritchie

Joe and the Skyscrapers By Prestel   

The children have been working like busy ants learning, exploring, and experimenting as we dove into this month’s learning activities about trees, leaves and insects! Our new activity explored all the wonderful ways trees help us every day. We learned that they clean the air we breathe, give us shade, provide wood for building and even supply the paper we use in class. We studied several types of trees, including the Mighty Oak, Empress and the Tall White Pine. The children were fascinated to discover that sap flows through leaves and that maple trees produce sweet maple syrup. (Did you know an acorn is actually the seed of an oak tree?) 

After researching all these interesting facts, we went on a super exciting tree-rubbing adventure! The kiddos placed a piece of paper against a tree trunk, rubbed a crayon over it and were amazed by the results. Their tree prints showed how each pattern in the bark was different and they realized that, just like people, every tree is unique in its own way.

We were amazed to discover just how many types of insects exist and how each one has its own special features! Did you know there are about 350,000 species of beetles? One that especially caught our attention was the Giraffe Beetle, which eats plants, trees, and even rugs. We also learned that spiders have eight legs and that every honeybee hive has one special queen bee in charge. We also observed many kinds of praying mantises, especially the Weta Mantis, which looks a bit like a lobster but is now extinct. And we couldn’t believe that ants can lift 50 times their own weight—such tiny but mighty creatures!

During our science activity, the children took turns observing insects through a magnifying glass, noticing their features, colors, and number of legs. They also enjoyed journaling and drawing their favorite insects. We wrapped up our fun and learning with an Ant Worker Race in the gym, a showing of A Bug’s Life, and of course, popcorn!

Books We Have Read and Enjoyed:

The Inside Tree By Linda Smith

A Trees Growing By Arthur Dorros

About Bugs By Sheryl Scarborough

Ant Cities By Arthur Dorros 

Angelina’s Halloween By Katharine Holobird

One Witch By Laura Leuck

Reminders:

Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend! Please keep in mind that we’ll be going outside a bit earlier and ending our day indoors.

Pick-up times are every hour on the hour or every half hour.

If you’d like to donate chicken, beef, or vegetable broth for our food drive, we would be so grateful for your support!

Happy Halloween, 

We are looking forward to a Thankful November!

As the crisp air of Fall settles in, our classroom has been filled with excitement and curiosity. The children have been eager to explore the beautiful changes this season brings: colorful leaves, apples, pumpkins and seeds of all shapes and sizes. Fall has provided the perfect backdrop for hands-on learning and discovery! The children were delighted to share their apple-picking experiences. We explored the life cycle of flowers and fruits, learning how seeds grow and how they come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. We discussed pollination, the various ways it occurs, and named many

fruits and flowers that contain seeds.

For science, we held an apple tasting test with several kinds of apples, including Gala, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Mutsu. We created a graph to see which varieties were the class favorites and there was a tie between Pink Lady and Honeycrisp! We also observed

leaves under a projector, looking closely for special features. In addition, we conducted the “Dancing Popcorn” experiment using a mason jar, water, vinegar, and corn kernels. The children

were excited to make predictions about what might happen, and when the kernels began to dance, their eyes lit up with amazement.

We also learned about healthy and poisonous berries, where they grow, how they are cultivated, and how they can be picked by hand or by machine. We talked about how berries are sold on farms and in stores and that we only eat farm- or store-bought berries.

After reading about pumpkins, we explored three different kinds by carving them and counting their seeds as part of our study of the pumpkin life cycle. When learning about leaves, the children discovered that leaves from the same species can look surprisingly different. Some of the leaves we studied were oak, maple, ginkgo, sweet gum, linden, birch, and elm. The horse chestnut leaf especially captured their attention because of its

unique shape and beauty!

Books We Have Read and Enjoyed:

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie by Herman Parish

The Berry Book by Gail Gibbons

It’s Pumpkin Time! by Zoe Hall

Reminders:

● Please take a peek at our Amazon Wishlist to help support our classroom with

much-needed supplies; any contribution is greatly appreciated.

● When bringing in a snack, please make sure it is labeled LEDP.

Happy Autumn!

It has been a fantastic start of the school year!

The children have enjoyed our Transportation and Video game themes. The kiddos were so excited to share how they commute to school. Some said they walk, others drive drive and ride their scooters or bikes. One of our super fun activities was build your favorite means of transportation from Lego pieces. They built cars, taxis, airplanes and boats. It was so heartwarming to see them working together as a team or individually.

Our video game theme surprise was a hit! After reading Jerry Changed The Game! We learned that he invented the video game cartridge, a digital joystick and a pause button for video games. Some of our activities included having the children design their own Pokemon cards, creating a Minecraft City and teaming together to race our sports scooter boards in the gym. Everyone, even the

teachers had a great time!

Reminders: Please send a labeled LEDP snack for your child.

Popular books we read:

-Catch The Bus By: The Berenstein Bears

-Me on The Map By: Joan Sweeney

-Jerry Changed The Game! By: Don Tate

-Pokemon Sun & Moon By: Hidenori Kusaka

Welcome back first grade LEDP families!

I hope you had a summer filled with lots of fun and adventure! It has been an amazing start to the year!

The children have been expressing their excitement as first graders by sharing their summer experiences. We have so many explorers with invigorating stories of their travels to places like Greece, Australia and New York. 

We played some getting to know you games, started with our first theme about our emotions and what they look and sound like and started writing in our journals!

While our first graders are still learning our rules, expectations and routines we have also been trying to enjoy the beautiful weather as much as possible! Just a few reminders, we ask that upon pick up, to please check out with one of the first grade teachers before leaving for the evening. We also want to remind families to please send their kiddos with an afternoon snack and it may be helpful for them to have it labeled "LEDP," so they do not eat it during their lunch time.

If you have some time and are interested, LEDP has created an Amazon wish list, with various LEDP staples and essentials. We thank you in advance for your consideration. 

The LEDP year is off to a great start and we look forward to another amazing year!