An Activity-Filled Winter for Stepping Stones Students

Stepping Stones students together wearing red and pink, under a "Love" sign.

Featuring Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and the 100th Day of School, February was a busy month full of celebrations for the students at Stepping Stones School.

For Groundhog Day, the students learned about hibernation, shadows, and groundhogs, and enjoyed a pajama party. After the TK classroom watched a video of Punxsutawney Phil making his weather prediction, the children took turns creating their own shadows on the wall.

On the 100th Day of School, students celebrated finally hitting triple digits after counting the days of the school year. As part of the day’s festivities, students listened to a 100 Day story, did 100 exercises, and practiced counting by tens. The TK class wore special shirts they made with neon paint, and with fluorescent streamers, neon hats, and glow bracelets, the students enjoyed dancing to music during an afternoon black-light party where everything glowed.

On Valentine’s Day, love was in the air in each of the classrooms, where Valentine festivities took place throughout the day. Activities included a Valentine owl art project in the preschool classroom, a Valentine treat delivery game with mailboxes for each of the TK students, and a fun photo shoot for the primary classroom students.

The Arc of Essex County’s Stepping Stones School is a Department of Education approved private school for students with disabilities serving children ages 3-10. Located in Roseland, NJ, the school is designed to meet the developmental and educational needs of children with cognitive impairments such as Down syndrome and other students with similar educational and developmental needs. For more information, or to request a virtual tour and assistance with an out-of-district placement, contact Sue Brand, Director of Early Childhood and Education at (862) 210-8781 or sbrand@arcessex.org.