It’s Olympics week at Rockville RfG, which means the students get to learn about the ancient games and about Paris. The session begins with a chapter from Magic Treehouse: Hour of the Olympics. As she reads, Mrs. Kearny invites the children to predict what will happen throughout in the story and to compare the 2024 Paris Olympics to the Olympics of the Greek era featured in the book. (Fun fact: women were not part of the Olympics until the first time Paris hosted the games in 1900!)

After the reading, children and staff enjoy a breakfast snack, while updating each other on the sloth and the dolphin, whose movements they are tracking with a tracker app.

Next, Mrs. Kearney directs everyone to the reading room, where the children review more facts about Paris and the Olympics, then spend a few minutes talking to a friend about something they learned. Mrs. Kearney peppers the students with questions like: What is the name of the big river? What are some things Paris is famous for? What language do Parisians speak? What did you learn about volleyball games? How does the torch travel? With her encouragement, the children call out answers. Although students remember multiple facts about the Olympics and Paris, they’re eager to learn more.

After the reading, the students separate into four groups that travel among four stations.

1. At the Food Craft, each child makes a torch from treats, then gets to eat it, while discussing upcoming Olympic events and how the torch travels over water.
2. Olympic Medal Writing is a continuation of yesterday’s project where each student imagines medals they could earn for various activities (sports and others),
3. Torch Making lets students practice following directions and being creative while constructing an Olympic torch to bring home, and
4. At the Puppet Theater, students pick puppets, identify a problem, solution, characters and setting, then do a short performance. Everyone alternates between audience and performer.

Each puppet show has an Olympic theme. In one, the setting is Paris. The problem is that the Olympic torch is missing. One character, Ostrich, recruits other characters to help find the torch, which Anteater took because she fears the dark. The characters solve the problem by getting Anteater a flashlight and restoring the torch to its rightful place. A happy ending for all. 

Students also have time to read independently and to an instructor. Reading specialist Mrs. Kearney designates leveled readers for each child, then ensures an instructor hears each child read, both to acknowledge their improving skills and help with specific challenges as needed.

The day ends as it began, with another chapter reading and more discussion and predictions about the Olympics. Throughout the activity, the children learn and use new and impressive vocabulary, like medallion, Mona Lisa, and Arc de Triomphe.

A Window Into READy for the Grade 2023

• Rockville •

It’s Olympics week at Rockville RfG, which means the students get to learn about the ancient games and about Paris. The session begins with a chapter from Magic Treehouse: Hour of the Olympics. As she reads, Mrs. Kearny invites the children to predict what will happen throughout in the story and to compare the 2024 Paris Olympics to the Olympics of the Greek era featured in the book. (Fun fact: women were not part of the Olympics until the first time Paris hosted the games in 1900!)

After the reading, children and staff enjoy a breakfast snack, while updating each other on the sloth and the dolphin, whose movements they are tracking with a tracker app.

Next, Mrs. Kearney directs everyone to the reading room, where the children review more facts about Paris and the Olympics, then spend a few minutes talking to a friend about something they learned. Mrs. Kearney peppers the students with questions like: What is the name of the big river? What are some things Paris is famous for? What language do Parisians speak? What did you learn about volleyball games? How does the torch travel? With her encouragement, the children call out answers. Although students remember multiple facts about the Olympics and Paris, they’re eager to learn more.

After the reading, the students separate into four groups that travel among four stations.

1. At the Food Craft, each child makes a torch from treats, then gets to eat it, while discussing upcoming Olympic events and how the torch travels over water.
2. Olympic Medal Writing is a continuation of yesterday’s project where each student imagines medals they could earn for various activities (sports and others),
3. Torch Making lets students practice following directions and being creative while constructing an Olympic torch to bring home, and
4. At the Puppet Theater, students pick puppets, identify a problem, solution, characters and setting, then do a short performance. Everyone alternates between audience and performer.

Each puppet show has an Olympic theme. In one, the setting is Paris. The problem is that the Olympic torch is missing. One character, Ostrich, recruits other characters to help find the torch, which Anteater took because she fears the dark. The characters solve the problem by getting Anteater a flashlight and restoring the torch to its rightful place. A happy ending for all.

Students also have time to read independently and to an instructor. Reading specialist Mrs. Kearney designates leveled readers for each child, then ensures an instructor hears each child read, both to acknowledge their improving skills and help with specific challenges as needed.

The day ends as it began, with another chapter reading and more discussion and predictions about the Olympics. Throughout the activity, the children learn and use new and impressive vocabulary, like medallion, Mona Lisa, and Arc de Triomphe.