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Special Events and Programs
Creation of Stepping Stones for Schoolyard
In 2006-2007, we began a special Stepping Stones tradition, honoring the name of our school. All K-8 children created their own stepping stone (with their name, the year, and their own design) for the schoolyard. Each spring, any newly enrolled K-8 students join this tradition by creating their own stone to add to the schoolyard.
Country Studies/Feasts (Elementary classes)
Elementary students engage in several “country studies” each year, corresponding to the continents being studied as part of their geography and cultural studies curriculum. Students choose a country to research, and then create the maps and flag for their country and prepare their country studies binder, where they present information they have researched about their chosen country (including basic country facts, geography/physical features, plants and animals, arts/music/culture, sports, important industries or products, common foods, agriculture and important crops, and other interesting things about their country). These studies culminate with a Country Feast, where children prepare food representative of their country to share with their classmates and families. The children also present and display their maps, flags, and binders at the feast. These feasts are a special tradition at our school, enjoyed by students, parents, and teachers alike!!
In-School Birthday Celebrations (Primary class)
In the Primary class, we celebrate each child’s birthday with a traditional Montessori birthday ceremony. The child’s parents attend this celebration and may share a few photos of the child from earlier years. The birthday child shares a special or favorite snack with the class and selects a favorite book from our shelves as the read-a-loud book for that morning. Alternately, the child’s family may elect to purchase a book to donate to the classroom in honor of the child’s birthday—if this is the case, the donated book is the read-a-loud book.
National Geographic Bee Contest
Students in grades 4-8 at Stepping Stones have the opportunity to participate in the National Geographic Bee school-level contest in January each year, if they so choose. Thousands of schools across the US participate in this annual contest, which is “designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography.” The contest is open to schools with students in grades 4-8. The school-level winner has the chance to take a written qualifying test, which may qualify him/her for the Maine State-level Geographic Bee, held in early April. We offer an after school Geography Bee Club for those who want extra practice for the Bee and/or have a high interest in geography.
End-of-the-Year Exit Exhibitions (Elementary classes)
Each year, in May, the Elementary children begin preparations for their End-of-the-Year Exit Exhibitions. This is a major research project for the Elementary children. Children write a report on their chosen topic, as well as develop a tri-fold visual display showing what they have learned. Topics are self-selected, within a broad category assigned by the teachers. These broad categories in the past have included: “heroes,” “careers,” and “habitats/biomes.” Student work is presented in a fair-like style on the last day of school. This is a perfect public speaking opportunity for the children as they present their new expertise on their topic to the parents/visitors who view their exhibit at the end of the school year.
Field Trips
Field Trip destinations in the past have included the Waterville Opera House for theatrical and musical productions, Pine Tree State Arboretum natural history programs, Maine State Museum, MOFGA Common Ground Fair, Popham Beach, Longfellow’s Greenhouses, the “Tadpole Patrol” boat on Cobbossee Lake, and Washburn-Norlands Living History Center. In most cases, field trips are scheduled to correspond to curricular studies in the classrooms. We generally have between 2 and 5 field trips per year, with an average cost of $4.00 per trip.
Holiday Celebrations
We celebrate various holidays throughout the year at the school, including Valentines Day, Halloween, Easter/Spring, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Earth Day with special classroom activities. Generally, special class parties are held for Valentines Day and Halloween.
“Holidays Around the World” Program
Each December, we hold our annual holiday show and family gathering, generally at an off-campus site so that we may use a stage and have more space. The show involves the children performing musical numbers celebrating holidays from many different cultures. The family gathering before/after the show is a wonderful opportunity to socialize with other school families. In the past, children have participated in a small gift exchange at this celebration.
100th Day of School
The children enjoy the tradition of celebrating this special day by bringing in 100 items (pennies, paper clips, etc.) and doing fun “100” activities such as writing numbers 1 to 100, rolling dice 100 times to explore probability, and responding to writing prompts about 100.
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