[Article partenaire] This winter, pupils of CE1/CE2 (2nd/3rd year) of Smith Street Arts et Lettres – a bilingual school in Brooklyn – studied their own playground: the exciting landscape of New York.
While the children investigated the five boroughs, they examined how the geography of Lenapehoking (the ancestral land of the Lenape) can influence the neighborhood where they live, and how humans have been able to shape and adapt to their environment over time. Along the way, they learned to use a compass, read maps and identify important landmarks to orient themselves in New York, the city known as with us !
The importance of the intellectual and creative life of the child
At Smith Street Arts and Humanities, the importance of a child’s intellectual and creative life – of thinking, curiosity, exploration, multilingualism and artistic expression – is instilled in everything school and in all aspects of its curriculum.
Exploring something as vast and intangible as New York City requires deep thought for 8 and 9 year olds. The teachers of Smith Street Arts et Lettres thought carefully about how to integrate these great concepts into something age-appropriate, while including a rich vocabulary and ensuring the acquisition of skills directly related to the sciences of cartography, in the sense of directions, orientation… All in English and French.
Meeting with professionals and artists
Another important aspect, directly related to the creation of such a program, is to invite professionals and artists into the classroom. Experts in their field, these adults will bring and share invaluable external knowledge. Children ask questions, collaborate, feel even more productive, competent, and are more engaged, becoming experts in turn.
See New York in an artistic way
The CE1/CE2 class had the chance to work closely with the guest artist Caitlin Levin. Their final project: to create several maps of New York and its neighborhoods, integrating and applying their new skills and knowledge to something concrete and tangible.
Caitlin guided the students through this project, thinking carefully about how to represent these distinct neighborhoods, all using recycled and natural materials.
The end point of this project included a tour of Caitlin’s studio, where students were able to participate in the creation of a video Stop Motion during the finalization of their work and photograph their finished cards.
One of these cards is proudly displayed at the entrance to the Brooklyn Heights campus (166 Montague), so that the whole community can enjoy it. The students were delighted to have had this opportunity to share their work – an important step linked to the joys of learning!
Join the Smith Street Community
👉 Smith Street Vacation
Smith Street offers summer camps, all in French, for children from 2 to 10 years old. They are invited to spend a creative summer in a warm and stimulating environment. The program is suitable for both beginners and French-speaking children. Sign up now and benefit from a discount dedicated to French Morning subscribers: 10% discount with the code FM2023*.
👉 Smith Street Kindergarten and Smith Street Arts and Letters
Kindergarten and elementary classes still have a few places available for the 2023-24 school year. Smith Street welcomes children from 2 years old to CM1 on the three Brooklyn campuses. Visit the site web to know more.
Fill an application form and schedule a visit.
The three campuses
- Brooklyn Heights (166 Montague St): From kindergarten to CM1 (pending the next opening of the college)
- Carroll Gardens (607, Henry St): Welcomes children from 2 to 4 years old
- Govanus (388 Carroll St): Welcomes children from 2 to 4 years old
Also discover the Smith Street Workshopsafter-school French lessons as well as tutoring and preparation for various college, high school and American university entrance tests.
*New students only and not compatible with other discounts.
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Note: “partner articles” are not articles from the editorial staff of French Morning. They are provided by or written on the order of an advertiser who determines their content.
