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CDE Preschool Goes for a Ride

Getting the chance to touch, feel, hear, and smell the animals on the farm was a special treat for CDE Preschool students who took a field trip to Ray of Light Farm in East Haddam last week.

The three-, four- and five-year-olds culminated their in-depth unit on all things farm by getting up close and personal with goats, sheep, peacocks, and, of course, Ray of Light’s celebrity zonkey (a zebra and donkey cross) named Fancy Pants. In addition, the students each played cowboy and cowgirl as the farm’s ponies gave them a ride around the arena.

“That was awesome,” said Isaac Gardner with enthusiasm, as he finished a ride on Jazzy the pony.

Moving on to some non-traditional barnyard animals, students each got the chance to hold and feed one of many hungry resident guinea pigs, which was Carley Spearrin’s favorite part of the day.

“I liked holding the little guinea pigs because they were so cute and soft,” she said.

Incorporating elements of math, science, language, letter and word identification, environmental awareness, and sensory learning, students at CDE Preschool have been learning about farm life for the past several weeks. In addition, students have been working on comprehension lessons, reading stories like Margret Wise Brown’s classic Big Red Barn. They have also been learning about farm equipment, crops, and food sources, taking things into their own hands and planting crops (in the classroom) of peas and zucchini that they have each brought home to be part of their own backyard gardens.

“The goal of this unit is to broaden and enhance the [students’] understanding of life on the farm using all aspects of learning, while introducing them to new and different food sources,” said CDE Preschool Director Linda Hall, who has been at the school for the past 26 years. “This field trip was a perfect way to culminate and celebrate our farm unit. The kids all really had a great time, and this was a wonderful experience for everyone.”

CDE Preschool serves the towns of Chester, Deep River, Essex, and beyond. It has classes for three-, four-, and five-year-olds. The schools will hold an open house on Wednesday, May 27 from 2 to 3 p.m. at 24 River Street. The school has open, ongoing enrollment. For more information, visit www.cdepreschool.com.