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KC Online Egg Hunt!

** 4/7/21: Congratulations to the winner of a KC throw blanket – Courtney! (please check your email) **
* 4/5/21 8:30pm: Thank you for playing! The Egg Hunt is now over! *

Find eggs!  Win a KC throw blanket!

All entries due by Monday, April 5, 8pm PT (to be drawn by Wednesday, April 7)

Our KC kids had plenty of fun with egg hunts and Easter activities, April Fool’s, Holi, and getting ready for Spring Break today, but now everyone can participate from home in our first online Kids Connection egg hunt! 🐇🥚🐣

Find eggs and earn drawing entries to win a Kids Connection throw blanket!

Colorful eggs are hiding among our Facebook page and our KC website!  Eggs can be found on Facebook in post images and comments made by the Kids Connection account, and throughout the KC website. Look especially hard for the golden eggs!

The fine print egg hunt rules:
– Find the Facebook post and Like it for one entry – https://www.facebook.com/KidsConnectionSchools/
– Each colorful egg found is worth one entry for the drawing
– Each golden egg is worth 5 entries for the drawing
– Find the eggs on Facebook and the KC website to improve your chances
– Email your egg type (colorful or golden) and locations (post name or URL) to Joanne Jennings at jjennings@kc4us.com
– All entries due by Monday, April 5, 8pm PT (to be drawn by Wednesday, April 7)
– Open to all KC families and friends
– Winner will be notified by email
– Have fun!

Coronavirus Updates and Guidance

At Kids Connection we remain committed to the safety and security of our students and families.  In accordance with the modification orders issued by the County Health Officer and San Mateo County Office of Education we have made the following temporary modifications to our programs.

Kids Connection transitioned to at-home learning beginning on March 18th. This includes both preschool and elementary. According to the revised order from the San Mateo County office of Education on March 25th in-school instruction is suspended until May 1st for the elementary school.

The Preschool and AfterSchool programs have in-home learning programming underway and have limited openings for the KC Families with essential function employment.  These programs are limited under the Shelter-in-Place orders issued by the County and State authorities, and will continued to open to in-school care as allowed by those bodies.

At Kids Connection, our mission is to educate the hearts and minds of our students. Our commitment to these goals are as strong as ever. We will continue to provide updates as they are available.

*Current as of March 26, 2020.  Plans may change based on San Mateo Health Officer recommendations and requirements.

KC Sanitizing Procedures

Kids Connection far exceeds the cleaning recommendations of the health department and CDC. Our commitment to keeping our school safe will continue while we are fighting COVID-19 and beyond.  For more details on our cleaning procedures, please visit Kids Connection Sanitizing Cleaning Procedures.

KC Elementary Re-Opening Plan

The Kids Connection 2020-2021 School Reopening Plan for elementary school is based on the Four Pillars for a safe return to school, a framework essential in creating and sustaining the most healthy environment for students and staff to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.  To review the Kids Connection 2020-2021 School Reopening Plan, Elementary COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist, and COVID-19 Prevention Program (CPP), please visit Kids Connection 2020-2021 Reopening Plan.

KC Virtual Tours

May 7, 2020 Update: Until we can return to campus, we are now utilizing Zoom and alternative methods for tours and to introduce families to our Elementary and Preschool. Please schedule a virtual tour if you would like to learn more about Kids Connection!

Afterschool Activities (March 2020)

KC Afterschool is more than just fun and homework!  Each week students rotate through different activities that are designed to continue their academic and personal development after the traditional school day is over.  These include STEAM, social-emotional growth, creativity, fitness, environmental studies and much more!

Each group will participate in the month’s Environmental Friday during their designated week.  Here are some highlights of this week’s activities:

Kindergarten

Pot of Gold Art Project (Art) 3/4

Students will learn how to create a pot of gold portrait using different media in our St. Patrick’s themed art project.

Compassion Project (Social Emotional) 3/10

Students will practice small acts of compassion to bring cheer to all aspects of their lives.  This exercise will show that bringing cheer to friends helps everyone and is not just restricted to school. 

Leprechaun Trap (STEAM) 3/16

Children will learn the Legend of the Leprechauns and construct a Leprechaun Trap of their own.   Students will use their ingenuity and skills to design, create, and decorate a Leprechaun Trap.

Healthy Mindset Exercise (Healthy, Happy, and Fit) 3/25

Students will learn about stress and learn techniques to help them stay healthy and active.  They will talk about prevention, breathing techniques, exercises, and gain general knowledge on how to reduce and manage stress in their lives.

1st Grade

Kickball (Healthy, Happy, and Fit) 3/3

Students will have fun playing kickball while also learning how to work as a team.  Organized sports are a great way to learn about how a team is made up of different strengths and skills and how a team requires coordination and communication in order to achieve success.

Growth Mindset Flipbook (Social Emotional) 3/9

Students will learn the difference between a “growth mindset” and a “fixed mindset” and learn how different mindsets can impact their attitudes.  Each student will write and draw in their own books and learn how to apply their growth mindsets to gain strength, self-esteem, and success in reaching their goals.

Build a Bridge (STEAM) 3/18

Students will learn architectural and cooperation skills as they work in teams towards a common goal: to build the longest bridge possible.  This project allows students to plan, design, and execute to build their bridges. 

Springtime Suncatcher (Art) 3/23

In this fun creative activity, students will make suncatchers using common household items and objects found in nature.  Suncatchers reflect light and color and will teach students that art can be both beautiful and functional.

2nd-3rd Grades

Emotions Art Project (Social Emotional) 3/5

Students will practice expressing their feelings in art and writing and share their emotions with a partner.  This activity will allow students to learn how to express themselves while building their self-esteem and confidence.

Pot of Gold Oil Pastel Art (Art) 3/11

Students will learn how to create a beautiful pot of gold portrait using oil pastels.  Students will create art with a variety of media while practicing mixing and blending techniques.

Create an Animal (Art) 3/17

Students will create their own animals using construction paper and other art supplies.  Students will be encouraged to think “outside the box” about how they want their animal to appear.

Obstacle Course (Healthy, Happy, and Fit) 3/23

Fitness is fun!  Students will learn why physical activity is important in order to be healthy while participating in a fun and engaging obstacle course.  Teamwork will be necessary to get through the course!

4th-5th Grades

Slime (STEAM) 3/3

Students will mix baking soda, water, and shaving cream to make their own slime!  They will see that science can be fun and sometimes mistakes can become something new.

Meditation (Healthy, Happy, & Fit) 3/9

Students will listen to calming music, learn how to unwind, and have fun.  This activity will help nourish a healthy mind and destress the body with healthy coping.

Journaling (Social Emotional) 3/19

Students will express their emotions and thoughts through writing a journal entry based on a journal prompt.  They will be encouraged to share their entries if desired.

Disney Hama Bead Challenge (Art) 3/23

Students will make pixelated Disney art from hama beads!  This activity will challenge creativity and critical thinking skills to develop a design to create a Disney character.  Partners can work together on the high-dexterity project.

Afterschool Activities (February 2020)

KC Afterschool is more than just fun and homework!  Each week students rotate through different activities that are designed to continue their academic and personal development after the traditional school day is over.  These include STEAM, social-emotional growth, creativity, fitness, environmental studies and much more!

Each group will participate in the month’s Environmental Friday during their designated week.  Here are some highlights of this week’s activities:

Environmental Fridays

The Water Cycle!  Students will learn about how water changes from one state to another through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.  Students will follow a drip through the water cycle to discover the drip’s journey to different places as a puddle, mountain lake, or flowing stream and how long that journey might take.

Kindergarten

Kindness (Social Emotional) 2/5

Students will practice kindness towards one another by discussing different ways to be kind.  They will divide into groups and talk about ideas of kind acts to perform.  

Environmental Friday 2/7

Lava Lamp Experiment (STEAM) 2/11

Students will create their own lava lamps using common household ingredients.  They will talk about why oil floats and doesn’t mix with water and why tablets sink.  This is a fun experiment which allows children to explore, cultivate ideas, and make decisions based on scientific evidence.

Healthy Smoothies (Healthy, Happy, and Fit) 2/20

There are many different ways to stay healthy!  Students will learn that smoothies are one of many ways to obtain their daily nutrients in a delicious blend of vegetables and fruits.  Getting nutrients doesn’t have to be tasteless and boring!  Students will make healthy smoothies as a group.

Heart Wreath (Art) 2/26

February is the month of love! Students will make a wreath out of cut out hearts.  This activity helps students to improve their fine motor skills while simultaneously encouraging creativity.

1st Grade

Anger Catcher (Social Emotional) 2/3

In this activity students will learn about different ways to appropriately handle anger or frustration.  Using an origami fortune teller, they will list different emotions and talk about how they would handle being in that situation.  Learning how to manage one’s emotions at a young age will help improve emotional intelligence.

Kickball (Healthy, Happy, and Fit) 2/13

Students will have fun playing kickball while also learning how to work as a team.  Organized sports are a great way to learn about how a team is made up of different strengths and skills and how a team requires coordination and communication in order to achieve success.

Roll-a-Picasso (Art) 2/18

In this fun creative activity, students will learn about abstract art and create their own Picasso inspired artwork!

Environmental Friday 2/21

Let’s Grow Crystals! (STEAM) 2/27

Using a borax solution, students will learn how to create crystals.  Students will follow a recipe to make a crystal growing solution, then they will add pipe cleaners to the mixture to see how the crystals grow around their pipe cleaner shapes.  This is a fun activity to learn how atoms of the solution rejoin in crystal structures.

2nd-3rd Grades

Math Chat (STEAM) 2/5

Students will learn how to tackle challenging bath equations.  Students will work in teams to strategize how to approach more complex math problems.  This will also foster sharing ideas and connecting with classmates/friends.

V-Day Love (Art) 2/11

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, students will talk about love and kindness.  They will create mini valentines with heart felt messages.  This activity helps spread kindness while also reminding kids to show love and appreciation for others.

Sharing Circle (Social Emotional) 2/20

February is kindness month!  Students will continue their journey of kindness by saying nice things about their classmates, helping to build confidence and spread kindness.

Environmental Friday 2/21

Restoration Yoga (Healthy, Happy, and Fit) 2/26

Yoga is fun!  Students will listen to calming music while practicing simple yoga moves.  This activity will show one of many ways that we can release stress and clear our minds during the day.

4th-5th Grades

Pom Pom Catapults (STEAM) 2/3

Students will design, engineer, and build catapults made from craft items and rubber bands.  This exercise will take students through the planning, building, and testing process to make a working catapult!

Valentine’s Day Cards (Social Emotional) 2/11

Students will make Valentine’s Day cards using mixed media.  This activity will allow students to creatively express themselves and show appreciations towards others.

Basketball (Healthy, Happy, & Fit) 2/19

Students will learn the importance of sportsmanship and coordination as a team while playing a friendly game of basketball!  Team sports are not only great for fitness, but they help promote teamwork to work together towards a common goal.

Create Your Own Superhero! (Art) 2/27

Students will create their own super hero using mixed media (i.e. oil pastels, water colors),  When they are done creating their ideal super hero, they will practice public speaking and good listening skills by presenting to their classmates.

Environmental Friday 2/28

KC Afterschool Activities (October 21 – 25, 2019)

KC Afterschool is more than just fun and homework!  Each week students rotate through different activities that are designed to continue their academic and personal development after the traditional school day is over.  These include STEAM, social-emotional growth, creativity, fitness, environmental studies and much more!

Here are some highlights of this week’s activities:

Kindergarten

Colorful Emotions (Social Emotional Learning)

This activity will help students identify facial expressions and how they can signify different emotions.  Students will use worksheets based on colors to express themselves and learn how to recognize how others are feeling.

The Solar System (STEAM)

Students will learn about the different planets in our solar system, where the planets are located, and some special identifiers of each.  They will fill out and color a mini solar system diagram to learn more about space!

1st-2nd Grades

Perler Beads (Creativity)

Students will explore their creativity while enhancing fine motor skills as they create their own perler bead masterpieces!

Environmental Friday

3rd-5th Grades

My Plate (Healthy, Happy and Fit)

Students will learn about the basic food groups and the components for building a healthy meal for themselves!  This will empower students to make healthy food choices for themselves.

KC Afterschool Activities (October 15-18, 2019)

KC Afterschool is more than just fun and homework!  Each week students rotate through different activities that are designed to continue their academic and personal development after the traditional school day is over.  These include STEAM, social-emotional growth, creativity, fitness, environmental studies and much more!

Here are some highlights of this week’s activities:

Kindergarten

Creepy Crawlers Yoga (Healthy, Happy and Fit)

Students will practice yoga poses inspired by bugs, including worms, bees, and ladybugs in our Halloween themed yoga class!  Yoga gives the body strength and flexibility which is important for long-term health.

Upcycle Trash Becomes Flower Art (Social Emotional Learning/Creativity)

Students will learn about recycling and how we can contribute to the movement to Save the Earth in our own individual ways.  Early recycling habits will be naturally fostered as children grow.  In this project, children will recycle trash and redesign them into flowers.

1st-2nd Grades

Point Painting (Creativity)

Students will learn about the Pointillism technique and create their own artwork using this style of painting.  They will use q-tips to make both small and large pictures, so that they can see how many small dots can create a larger picture.

Roses (Social Emotional Learning)

In a world where we can be anything, we can always be kind!  Students will show appreciation for one another by writing small notes of kindness and compliments to others in their class.  Notes will be read anonymously.

3rd-5th Grades

Art History Research Project (Creativity/Social Emotional Learning)

Students will choose a classic painting to research and prepare a short presentation using PowerPoint.  This activity will serve multiple purposes – to enhance art appreciation skills, practice researching and digital layout skills, and improve public speaking skills.

Emotional Regulation Skills: Think It, Say It (Social Emotional Learning)

In this exercise, students will practice filtering thoughts and deciding what should be spoken aloud and what is better left unsaid.  They will explore their own emotions to determine what might be appropriate to say to someone else.

KC Afterschool Activities (September 30 – October 4, 2019)

KC Afterschool is more than just fun and homework!  Each week students rotate through different activities that are designed to continue their academic and personal development after the traditional school day is over.  These include STEAM, social-emotional growth, creativity, fitness, environmental studies and much more!

Here are some highlights of this week’s activities:

Kindergarten

Bubble Fun (STEAM)

Students will enjoy sunshine with some bubble fun!  We will make bubbles of our own, and learn why they are colored, why they are spherical, and why they pop!

Brushing Your Teeth

Students will participate in a happy teeth/sad teeth project teaching the importance of having healthy teeth.  Dental hygiene is of utmost importance to good health!  Students will learn about the importance of brushing and flossing which helps to reduce germs/bacteria and also prevent gum diseases and cavities.

1st-2nd Grades

Perler Beads (Creativity)

Students will explore their creativity while enhancing fine motor skills as they create their own perler bead masterpieces!

Relay Fitness (Fitness)

Physical fitness is an important part of any child’s development!  It’s important to incorporate exercise into daily routines in order to stay healthy.  Students will be participating in a relay race with exercises at different stations (which they can also try at home!)

3rd-5th Grades

Name-It Ball (Fitness)

The students will be participating in a fun game of Name-It ball  where they will complete fun physical challenges, show their creativity, and develop their social skills.

Four Square Techniques (Fitness)

Students will learn how to play Four Square, techniques and strategies, and the primary muscles used for the game.  They will practice and apply these techniques as well as learn proper warm ups and stretches to prepare for the game and prevent injury.

KC Afterschool Activities (September 23-27, 2019)

KC Afterschool is more than just fun and homework!  Each week students rotate through different activities that are designed to continue their academic and personal development after the traditional school day is over.  These include STEAM, social-emotional growth, creativity, fitness, environmental studies and much more!

Here are some highlights of this week’s activities:

Kindergarten

3D Sculptures (STEAM)

Students will touch on their engineer skills by using cotton swabs and glue to create 3D houses.  This teaches the basics of creating strong structures.

Team Towers (STEAM)

Students will work within groups to create a free standing structure out of marshmallows and spaghetti which can support weight. Students will learn about the planning and design process as they create blue prints to build a strong structure. This activity also teaches about team work through planning, leadership, and communication.

1st-2nd Grades

Yoga (Fitness)

Students will learn age appropriate yoga poses to promote calmness and flexibility.

4 Square Practice (Fitness)

Students love to play 4 Square, but it’s also a great way to improve coordination, agility, and practice sportsmanship.

Math Fun! (STEAM)

Students will explore the concepts of equivalence using number lines in the context of frog jumping. Students will also practice teamwork and speaking skills by delivering presentations as a group about their math problem-solving process while providing feedback to their peers.

Environmental Friday!

3rd-5th Grades

Balloon Rockets: (STEAM)

Students will use old water bottles (recycling) to build a rocket that launches using a balloon.  This activity helps to teach basic physics and movement.

Team Towers (STEAM)

Students will work within groups to create a free standing structure out of marshmallows and spaghetti which can support weight. Students will learn about the planning and design process as they create blue prints to build a strong structure. This activity also teaches about team work through planning, leadership, and communication.

Math Fun! (STEAM)

Students will practice knowledge of factors, generalize and practice the commutative and associative properties by designing (rectangular prisms) chocolate boxes.  Students will also practice teamwork and speaking skills by delivering presentations as a group about their math problem-solving process while providing feedback to their peers.