Pumpkin Auction

It is time for the annual Barnes Pumpkin Auction! We love seeing the creative pumpkins available year after year! Each child gets a token to cast a vote for their favorite pumpkin. Then the pumpkins go up for auction!! Who will take home their favorite pumpkin this year? All of the proceeds benefit the Barnes Early Childhood Program.

Happy Halloween!

STEM

Yesterday, we were honored to have a visit from Miss St. Clair Shores, Shelby McPherson. Shelby is a graduate from Lawrence Technological University where she studied Architecture and Construction Management. She shared with the students her passion and involvement with STEM. She linked their current experiences- drawing pictures, constructing with legos, to STEM.

She led the students through two activities. The first was building with toothpicks, marshmallows and gum drops. The students constructed various configurations, and shapes. Shelby talked about how making a strong base would allow their structures to grow taller.

Second, the students did an experiment with Chromatography. They saw how one color is made up of many colors. They colored with a single color on a coffee filter and observed the colors separate in water.

We really enjoyed our visit from Miss St. Clair Shores! We wish her the best as she continues to grow in STEM!

Miss Wayne County

Miss Wayne County 2018, Hannah Dell visited the GPPSS Child Development and Preschool Program at Barnes today! She visited each classroom with Pete the Cat stories in hand. The children were excited to see a real "princess" at school!! Hannah will be visiting our elementary school locations on January 26.

Thank you, Hannah, for giving your time to the children! We wish you well in the upcoming Miss Michigan Pageant!

Dr. Seuss

Yesterday we celebrated Dr. Seuss's 113th birthday! Classrooms read a variety of Dr. Seuss books including Green Eggs and Ham, and Hop On Pop. We talked about the silly rhyming words and interesting illustrations in each book. Classrooms also celebrated by painting some of their favorite Dr. Seuss characters, and patterning that famous 'Cat in the Hat' hat.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” -Dr. Seuss 

Tot Tree

The Tot Tree has been installed in our infant and toddler play yard! Thank you so much for all of your support and fundraising efforts! We could not have provided this climber and grass cover without the generosity of our school families and the support of the district.

The playground is an extension of our learning environment. We know that important skills develop outside while climbing, running, jumping and exploring which makes us even more excited for the Tot Tree. Toddlers will have new opportunities to strengthen motor skills and social interactions. This will be a great addition for our upcoming school year. 

Firefighter Exploration

Recently, our Preschool Prep class has been very interested in fire trucks and fire fighters. The children were curious to know things like:

• Why is the siren on a fire truck so loud?
• Can both boys and girls be fire fighters?
• Where is the hose on the fire truck?
• Do you have to wear a seat belt on the fire truck?

Their exploration led to many activities and stories. The children were guided by their teacher, Ms. Stephanie K, who also arranged for a visit from the Grosse Pointe Woods Fire Department. All classrooms and ages were invited to participate. The children had the opportunity to ask questions, see and try on fire fighter gear, and explore the fire truck. 

What an awesome experience! Thank you GPW for supporting safety, learning and community involvement. Thank you for working hard each and every day to help keep us safe!