Archive for category: Venning Road Center

Toddler D students enjoyed a bird exploration with Ms. Erin during the “What Makes a Bird a Bird” project after learning about different forest animals. The class discussed the physical and anatomical properties of these animals and completed various projects to enhance their understanding. The class told Ms. Erin that birds have wings, feathers and beaks. “Where do birds live?” This question raised excitement and a variety of answers—“The sky.”, “High in the trees.” and finally, “Birds live in nests!”

The students were enthusiastic to tell Ms. Erin about the nests they’ve seen as they began a closer investigation of birds. The children continued to expand their concept of how birds build nests and what nests are made of.

As an activity for this project, students created their very own bird nests by using sticks, paper, string and a cardboard box. The class began ripping paper and string into little pieces to start constructing their bird nests. The students decided they would also need glue to make sure the materials used for the nest would stick together. This activity sparked imagination and inspired discovery for the next week as the students added to their homemade nests. The bird nest project was a huge success!

The children were enthusiastic and enjoyed learning through this experimental and hands-on educational activity. The class was proud of their hard work on the nests for their “birdie friends.” As the Toddler D class continues to explore birds and their habitats, students are engaging in vocabulary expansion and increasing understanding for future projects. Ms. Erin’s class will continue to learn more about birds focusing the students’ attention on the eggs inside of the nest.

Born, raised and educated in Awendaw, SC, Ms. Alex is a Charleston native who believes the success of CDC is based on teamwork. “The children, their families, and the teachers work together under a valid and worthwhile philosophy of personal empowerment.”

Being homeschooled from fourth grade through twelfth grade, Ms. Alex was raised on an educational philosophy that closely aligns with that of CDC. “I learned through doing. I decided when enough was enough. I was given time to dig deeper into subjects that I was especially interested in. My parents thought of themselves as coaches rather than teachers. It was my responsibility to learn and move forward. It was their responsibility to guide me along the way.”

It is this similar educational philosophy that drew Ms. Alex to her current position at CDC. “My job is to provide the tools and to guide my students on their path to better understanding of the subjects they are interested in,” she says.

Ms. Alex’s biggest reward is seeing her student’s good behavior, manners and respectfulness toward others while out on field trips. Project time is a personal favorite because “the children’s level of interest is high because they have actually chosen the subject. They have control over the situation and the outcome.”

When not working at CDC, you might find Ms. Alex babysitting, traveling or planning her next adventure. As part of Ms. Alex’s homeschooling experience, she grew up traveling with her sister to Mt. Pleasant for year round swimming, Spanish tutoring and piano lessons.

What people find most surprising about Ms. Alex is that she is adopted. She currently lives with her two adorable black and white cats named Tuxedo and Paxton.

Ms. Alex believes in personal empowerment and growth and believes that “if you are going to do something, give the time and effort to see it through.”

Toddler A students are enjoying exploring birds during our “What Makes a Bird, A Bird” project. Ms. Meredith observed the students’ interest in these animals and began our exploration of red and blue birds. “Do you see or hear any birds?” “What do birds eat?” “Where do birds live?”

The students became interested in birds when they observed them on nature walks and from inside the classroom. The class then explored the physical and anatomical properties of these animals and completed various projects to enhance their understanding.

The students continue to expand their vocabulary of concepts and words relating to birds including beak, fly, feathers, red, blue, and even cardinal! It is so wonderful to see and hear the students growing in their appreciation and understanding of birds! The students still run to the windows and get so excited when they see their “birdie” friends! As one of our authentic creations for this project, students created class bird feeders by rolling pinecones in sun butter and birdseed to provide food for the birds.

The birdfeeders were a huge success and attracted more birds for observation. With spring just around the corner, the Toddler A students are now able to see new species of birds migrating to our area. There are several blue birds, cardinals and black birds.

The students created their own renditions of the birds using clay, feathers and various paints. “What textures should we add to replicate the bird’s feathers?” “What colors do you want to add to your bird?” The children enjoyed personalizing their birds and even created individual birdfeeders to take home. This project has been a huge success!

As the class continues to explore birds, they will begin to investigate the various colors and textures, which make these animals so unique. The Toddler A students are engaging in incredible dialogue about these animals and are looking forward to increasing their vocabulary and understanding in future projects!

The Toddler F class just completed “The Bus Project.” The project came after I noticed the children lining up and sitting in chairs. Each time I asked what they were doing, they replied, “Ms. Susan, we’re going to Hobby Lobby!” I wasn’t sure if they were interested in Hobby Lobby or how to get to Hobby Lobby. After exploring Hobby Lobby by viewing pictures, drawing and a virtual tour, I realized the children were interested not in the store, but the means of getting there.

We began with an investigation: What kind of vehicle was big enough to fit everyone? We explored real vehicles. The children decided a car was too small, an SUV didn’t provide enough seats, but a bus was perfect. Every child had his or her own seat and seatbelt, and everyone was happy! The children learned that the bus has three doors. While trying to open one of the doors, they discovered the handle was inside. The children learned about the different parts of the bus and their functions. We asked questions including, “Which of the parts are circles? Squares? Rectangles?” “What does the steering wheel do?” Why do we wear seat belts?” “Why does the bus need gas?”

The children made a list of parts they wanted to create for the bus mural and classified them by shape. They used various materials and loved painting glue on the mural to hold each part in place. I was surprised that they actually understood where each part should be placed, according to their experiences analyzing the CDC bus! We had a lot of fun exploring and creating the bus mural.