The Beehive School is officially at the New Location

Today, after loading up the moving van, the teachers and parent volunteers then needed to unlaod the van and help with the unpacking. It was great to finally be in those doors and seeing this space come to life with all of the school materials being set up. The teachers and volunteers were then treated to a nice buffet style lunch. The school is closed now over the holidays, but will be open on January 4th. Can't wait to see the students react to their new location. Everyone have a happy holiday and see you all in January.

The Sentimental Move to the New Location

Today was the day that the Beehive would close its doors and move to their new location in Lindencham. Although the choice will benefit the school's needs, it was hard to let go. Here are the teachers and parent volunteers working hard today boxing and moving all of the materials into the moving van. Thanks to all the volunteers that came out. Your help was greatly appreciated.

Last Day at the Old Location

Here are the preschool students working on some Christmas crafts the last day before they move to their new location. The students created these wonderful angel drawings.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

The play group students have been learning and singing songs. One in particular has been Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. In the collage of pictures above, the students are creating their own stars and clearly having fun while doing it.

Santa Claus Visits the Beehive

 

Today the students of the beehive had a special visitor.... Santa Claus came to their school to see them! Students were to arrive Saturday December 5th from 9:30 am until 10:30 am where they were able to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas, and more importantly if they have been naughty or nice. All students received a bag of peanuts, chocolate, and biscuits as well as a special present from Santa himself. A very special day indeed. Thank you Santa Claus for making a stop at our school!

Beehive Teacher Christmas Dinner

 

All of the beehive Staff had their annual Christmas dinner at the Hall in Winterthur where they had a traditional German meal and were able to see the musical Alapilio. Great night had by all, and even managed to get up early for Santa the next day!

Thank you teachers for all of the hard work that you do each and every day to make sure that our children are academically challenged in a loving and nurturing atmosphere where they are able to learn so many life skills. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.

Santa is Coming!

The Beehive would like to warmly invite all students to come to the school Saturday December 5th from 9 am until 10:30 am to come and meet Santa. They ask that the parents drop them off and pick them up at the appropriate times.

The Tea Towels Are Here!

The students created these tea towels and they turned out quite fantastic. Each students is represented with their name and a symbol representing themselves. With the students in the playgroup, they dipped their hand in ink and applied their hand prints to the masterpiece. For the older students in preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten, they created a self portrait. These are really lovely keepsakes for family and friends and at 10 CHF's a piece, they are quite a bargain.

Winter Art with the Preschool Students

Important Notice for Pre-K and Kindergarten Students

Ms. Laura, the teacher for pre-k and kindergarten would like to inform all parents that she will be going home, to see family in California, Tuesday December 8th for the holidays. Sophie Meerseman has been kind enough to come in on the days she will be away. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to talk to Laura. Happy Holidays!

Preschool Working on Christmas Crafts

Beehive Walk to the Farm

Pre-K Christmas Crafts

The Beehive Buzz Newsletter for November

Beehive Newsletter 2

Play time at the Beehive

Gobble, Gobble!

The preschoolers were also busy preparing for Thanksgiving by making arts and crafts related to this American and Canadian Holiday. They spent time creating these wonderful looking turkeys. They cut out different colored paper for the feathers, painted a cardboard tube for the body and head, and put it all together to create this lovely centerpiece for the table. Well done preschoolers.

Firetruck by Ivan Ulz

Nadine found the Firetruck song by Ivan Ulz that the students sang at the Christmas Program. Thought that the students and parents alike would enjoy this link.

Playgroup Lesson Plans

Autumn Term 2 Week 6 09


Autumn Term 2 Week 7 09

Autumn Term 2 Week 8 09

Preschool Student Phonics

Last week, students in the preschool class worked on the Letter T. Luckily, Mr. Frog agreed to help out in teaching the students the words associated with the letter T as well as learning how to draw the letter T in the sand. Job well done preschoolers!

Playgroup boys playing with Cars and Trucks

These boys in the playgroup had a great time playing with the cars, buses, and trucks last week. Their most favorite activity was driving the vehicles off of the couch and watching them fall to the ground. There is nothing like learning cause and effect relationships.

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Crafts

According to the History Channel.com, "the most familiar story of the first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth Colony, in present-day Massachusetts, in 1621. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.More than 200 years later, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941.

Sarah Josepha Hale, the enormously influential magazine editor and author who waged a tireless campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in the mid-19th century, was also the author of the classic nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

In 2001, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative Thanksgiving stamp. Designed by the artist Margaret Cusack in a style resembling traditional folk-art needlework, it depicted a cornucopia overflowing with fruits and vegetables, under the phrase "We Give Thanks."

This year, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on November 25th and many will serve a turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, apple pie, stuffing, and cranberry sauce and celebrate this tradition with family and friends.

Playgroup Artwork

The students in the playgroup had a great time creating their fall animal projects. I think their sheep and roosters turned out great. Another job well done by the playgroup kids!

Playgroup Making Apple Juice

In heir focus with learning about all things during the fall harvest, these students in he playgroup had the opportuity to help make fresh squeezed apple juice. You can tell by their expressions that they had a lot of fun.

Preschool Students working on the Shape of the Week

Last week, the preschool students worked on their weekly shape which was the star. Here are some pictures of the students drawing, cutting, and painting their stars.

Christkindl Market at the new location in Lindencham

Today was the Christkindl Market for the Beehive International School. Since they will be moving to a new location on December 12th, what better than to have the Christkindl Market at the new location. The new school is located in Lindencham and was previously used by two kindergarten classes. It has two spacious rooms, a nice playground, as well as a place downstairs that has a lot of space for teacher planning and storage.

The Christkindl Market took place from 2 pm until 4 pm. The students immediately noticed the playground. They now have six swings, a wooden train, and a rope jungle gym in front of the school as well as all of the other equipment the Beehive International School already has at it´s current location.

When all the parents and students arrived, parents were able to look at all of the books at the Book Fair on display. If you purchased anything from the fair, they would automatically give a certain percentage to the school to buy even more books for their current library. The teachers also posted their wish lists for the classroom and seemed well received by the parents.

Soon after, it was ready for all of the children to put on their costumes and get ready for the program. All the children had a green velvet coverall and a red velvet hat to represent Santa´s little helpers, and one student was dressed in a beautiful red velvet dress with white trim, and she represented Santa. Once into costume, the children walked into the room set up for the performance singing their first song which was the Fire Truck, after Marianne announced the afternoon events. Although this song was not so Christmas orientated, the students have been learning about fire, candles, and matches, so it fits in with their thematic unit.

The next song was one entitled I am Special. Which the children sang and also had certain movements to.



The next song, was This Little Light of Mine where the older students held real lit candles and the younger ones held cardboard replicas of a candle and furthermore sang the song Oh Light that they learned in English and German.




The last song of he performance was Feliz Navidad and each child had a heart tied around their neck with a piece of string. There were many cute hand gestures that went along with this number, but if you are a teacher you must always be prepared for the unexpected. Here are two students who were a little distracted during their performance:



Afterwards, the teachers were presented with a gift and then we all proceeded to the next room for refreshments, conversation, and snacks.

The students clearly have spent a lot of time preparing for their performance and it was definitely a job well done. Thank you to the teachers for all of their hard work in putting this event together. It was greatly appreciated by the parents and students equally.

Play Group Kids Making Arts and Crafts

Preschoolers Working on the Number 4

Kindergarten Class Hard at Work

Visitors Come to the Beehive

The Swiss schools had a father/daughter day this week. The Eichmatt School asked if the Beehive School could accommodate five 5th grade boys and give them some background on what it is like to work with young children. These five boys were well received by the preschoolers. So much so, they didn't want them to leave. I think the feeling was mutual.

Kindergarten Class Creating Arts and Crafts

Below is their final product: A Turkey!