In what might be the cutest construction crew ever assembled, a group of curious PreK students equipped with clipboards, markers, yellow hard hats, and high visibility vests took a field trip to the Lower School’s renovation site on Wednesday, September 18. Move over, Bob the Builder — this tiny team is here to ask the big questions!

“Here we are building a fantastic early childhood Center for our youngest Vikings,” said Head of School Carol Maoz, as she and Head of Lower School Sandy Lizaire-Duff led the class to the renovation site of the Early Childhood Center, the first project of the school’s master plan. 

As a school that embraces inquiry-based instruction and a Reggio-Emilia-inspired program, teacher Jen Agro used this as a hands-on learning opportunity. 

“This is the beauty of Reggio, we put out provocations and experiences and see where the students take them,” she said. “We've been interacting with the construction workers from behind the fence. So we're so excited to get to go see them and look at their tools and their machines and maybe draw them and learn how to interview and ask questions,” she added. 

And sure enough, true to their curious nature, the young learners had plenty of questions. 

“What are these rocks under our feet for?” one student asked, examining the gravel. “Why is there a fence around it? “How many people are working on this?” “How big will our school be?” And, of course, the most pressing question on everyone’s mind: “Will there be a new playground?”
Construction superintendent Chris Chila from Turner Construction Co. answered all the questions and explained the purpose of each one of the construction trucks.

While the Early Childhood Center won’t be ready until next year, one thing is certain: King School has plenty of tiny minds hard at work! The visit left these future architects, engineers, and playground designers buzzing with excitement.