ABS West Campus
Themes for the year of 2024/2025
Each month, we will present activities that will help enhance “language and reading”, “pre writing'', “math and perception”, “discovery of the world through art/painting”, cooking, gross motor skills activities, music & movement, songs, yoga, and Social Emotional Learning.
We will organize regular events/potlucks and we hope to see you!
September: Back-to-School - Emotions / C’est la rentrée - Les émotions
Back-to-school is always an exciting and joyful event for children and it brings a wide different range of emotions! Therefore, the first month of the school year is important for all students (new and returning) as they are exploring, adjusting, and settling back in their school environment and routines. During this month, our students will build their vocabulary and awareness of the different feelings they experience and their peers’. They will also explore ways to help and/or cope when they are feeling different emotions with the help and support of their teachers. Social emotional development is key to early learning and a successful school year.
· We will organize a “Back-to-School Meeting” on Friday, September 27th. It is a great occasion to get to know your child’s teachers! All ABS Staff and our ABS policies procedures and curriculum will be presented.
· ABS will be closed on Monday, September 2nd: Labor Day.
October: Halloween - California Forest / Halloween - La forêt californienne
California is known for its big trees and forests which play a huge role in human daily life by providing ecosystem services like fresh air, clean water, spaces for cultural and recreation opportunities, etc. Our students will learn ways to preserve our precious California forest and to contribute to the community by reducing waste, saving water, how to prevent fires, etc. Also, October is known for Halloween and its fun activities such as dressing up in their favorite costumes, making arts and crafts, etc.
· Children and staff will come in their Halloween costume on Wednesday, October 30th and Thursday, October 31st! You will be invited to our Halloween parade on Wednesday, October 30th from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. This will be followed by a potluck. Please bring your favorite drink and/or food!
Picture Day will be in the morning of Tuesday, October 16th.
ABS School will be closed on Friday 11th: Teacher In-Service Day
ABS School will be closed on Monday 14th: Indigenous Peoples’ Day November: Thanksgiving - The Seasons / Thanksgiving - Les saisons
Our children will travel through the four seasons and learn about the characteristics of each of them through activities, songs, and stories. Students will also learn about the day time length, when the days become shorter and when the temperature changes based on each season. Fall is the season for all senses: the feel of cooler temperatures after a long summer, a warm visually pleasing palate of reds, oranges, and browns, the taste of pumpkin spices in everything, etc. Our students will learn the exact meaning of Thanksgiving which is celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. We will enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving lunch and make some Thanksgiving arts and crafts!
ABS School will be closed on Monday 11th: Veterans Day
ABS School will be closed on From Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th: Thanksgiving Break
December: Holidays Around the World - Winter / Les célébrations de fin d'année dans le monde - L’hiver
December is always the month where families and friends get together to celebrate the end of the year. Our students will be traveling around the world by celebrating some holidays, like Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. We will be making a lot of crafts for each celebration. Also, during this month, our students will be able to share their holidays and culture through books, crafts, and songs. It is also the tradition at ABS, that each class will decorate their own Christmas tree.
· You will be invited to our Holiday party with performance, music & dancing on Friday, December 20th from 10:30 am to 1 pm.
· ABS will be closed on Monday, December 23rd through Friday, January 3rd: Winter Break.
· ABS Classes will resume on Monday, January 6th.
January: Winter sports - “The King’s Cake” / Les sports d’hiver - la Galette des Rois
Winter is here and it is time to go do some winter sports! Winter sports include both individual and team sports such as ice hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, skiing, speed skating, bobsledding, and snowmobiling. Our students will learn about the differences between each sport and the materials we use to play each of them. We will be making a lot of crafts and creative activities around this theme.
January will also be the time for celebrating the “Galette Des Rois”. We will create lots of art and have activities around this tradition. Our children will be making their own Galette Des Rois!
· You will be invited to join us to taste our King’s cakes with some apple juice and cider on Friday, January 31th from 4 pm to 5:30 pm.
· ABS will be closed on Monday, January 20th: Martin Luther King Day.
February: The Weather - Valentine's Day / La météo - La Saint-Valentin
Our students will learn more about something they experience every day: the weather. “Why is the sky blue?” “Where does snow even come from?” “Why doesn’t it snow when it’s summer?” These are some of the common questions we will answer through hands-on activities, crafts, experiments, and much more. Our students will also learn more about the water cycle and how the weather impacts us and our environment (the
different clothes we wear based on the weather, the plants, the activities we can do, etc.) for them to connect the weather to their daily life in a meaningful way.
During this month, we will also discuss “Valentine’s Day” through arts and crafts.
· ABS will be closed from Monday, February 17th to Friday, February 21st.
March: Flying bugs / Le insectes volants
Spring is here and flying bugs are coming back around us! There are so many interesting and diverse flying bugs to learn from: ladybugs, bees, dragonflies, butterflies, and more. Our students will learn about each one of them and their characteristics, habitat, and roles in nature. We will also grow our own butterflies and ladybugs and observe the different steps of their life cycle.
· ABS will be closed on Friday, March 21st : Teachers Workday.
April: Pond Life - Easter / La vie de l’étang - Pâques
Many of our students enjoy going to the park and looking at ponds and their living life such as tadpoles, frogs, water lilies, ducks, turtles, etc. Students will learn the basic characteristics of a pond ecosystem, explore the animals and plants that live in there, and learn about how they survive. We will also practice the sounds pond animals make. Our students will learn through crafts and hands-on activities.
· Children will go on an Easter egg hunt with their parents on Thursday, April 17th from 4pm to 5:30 pm. This will be followed by a potluck. Please bring your favorite drink and/or food!
· ABS will be closed from Monday, March 31st to Friday, April 4th : Spring break.
May: Space - Mother’s Day / L’espace - La fête des mères
This month, let’s explore the universe! As children get older, they begin to think about things beyond their own experiences. They wonder about the sky and what is in it, the stars, ask about planets, the moon, the sun, and even aliens!
Our students will get opportunities to do art projects, create, explore, and do science experiments. We will go on a field trip to learn more about space (details and date to come).
Happy Mother’s Day... We will express love and gratitude for our moms. They will have their special day on May 11th!
· ABS will be closed on Monday, May 26th: Memorial Day.
June: Friendship - Father’s Day / L’amitié - La fête des Pères
It is the end of the school year and our students have made lots of friends! We will discuss the importance of friendships and positive social interactions, what it means to be a good friend, and how we can maintain these friendships. We will celebrate these friendships through classroom and school art projects and remember all of our memories together.
We will not forget to celebrate fathers, as they will have their special day coming on June 15th!
· ABS School will be closed on Thursday 19th: Juneteenth Holiday
· You will be invited to celebrate the end of the school year with a party with performances, music & dancing on Friday, June 13th from 10:30 am to 1pm.
· Last of ABS Academic School Year 2024/2025: Wednesday, June 25th.
· ABS will be closed on June 26th and 27th to prepare our Summer Camp Program 2025.
· First day of Summer Camp 2025: Monday, June 30th! We will exceptionally offer 4 weeks of summer camp this year (from June 30th to July 25th) to align with our new ABS Calendar 2025/26. The first day of the academic year 2025/26 will be on August 14th, 2025.
. ABS will be closed on Friday, July 4th: Independence Day.