Enrichment Archives - Jubilee Academy https://jubileeacademysc.org/category/enrichment/ Reaching the Whole Child | Bringing Hope | Changing Lives | Columbia, South Carolina Wed, 17 Dec 2025 20:56:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Gingerbread Joy and the True Meaning of Christmas at Jubilee Academy! https://jubileeacademysc.org/gingerbread-joy-jubilee-academy/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:13:42 +0000 https://jubileeacademysc.org/?p=3114 The air at Jubilee Academy has been filled with holiday cheer, the sweet smell of gingerbread, and the sound of excited chatter! Our students recently enjoyed one of our favorite annual traditions: decorating beautiful gingerbread houses in celebration of Christmas. This wasn’t just a fun activity; it was a wonderful opportunity for our students to...

The post Gingerbread Joy and the True Meaning of Christmas at Jubilee Academy! appeared first on Jubilee Academy.

]]> The air at Jubilee Academy has been filled with holiday cheer, the sweet smell of gingerbread, and the sound of excited chatter! Our students recently enjoyed one of our favorite annual traditions: decorating beautiful gingerbread houses in celebration of Christmas.

This wasn’t just a fun activity; it was a wonderful opportunity for our students to connect, create, and reflect on the true meaning of the season.

Combining Classes and Socializing

One of the highlights of the day was the chance to combine classes and encourage socialization. Older students helped guide our younger learners, sharing techniques for placing gumdrops and frosting perfect roof lines. This cooperative environment fostered a sense of community and kindness—essential lessons we strive to teach every day at Jubilee. It was beautiful to see friendships blossom across grade levels as students worked side-by-side on their edible masterpieces.

The Greatest Gift: Hearing the Story of Christ’s Birth

Amidst the colorful candies and sweet treats, we took time to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Our students gathered to hear the heartwarming story of the birth of Jesus Christ. Understanding this story—the story of hope, love, and the greatest gift given to mankind—is the centerpiece of our celebration. We cherish these moments of reflection, grounding our holiday excitement in the love and faith of the season.

Connecting Gingerbread to Montessori Principles

You might wonder how decorating a gingerbread house ties into our educational philosophy. The gingerbread activity is actually a fantastic, hands-on application of several core Montessori principles:

  • Practical Life Skills: The act of spreading frosting, arranging small candies, and carefully placing decorations involves fine motor control, concentration, and precision—all key components of Practical Life exercises.
  • Preparation of the Environment: The beautifully pre-made houses and bowls of carefully sorted candies provided a rich, organized, and inviting environment, encouraging the students to engage independently and creatively.
  • Concentration and Order: To successfully decorate a house, a child must choose materials, plan their design, and execute it with focus. This process naturally cultivates concentration and a sense of order as they manage their space and their sweet supplies.
  • The Power of the Hand: In the Montessori method, we believe the hand is the chief instrument of the mind. This activity was a perfect example, allowing the children to externalize their inner creative ideas through physical construction and decoration.

A Massive Thank You!

This heartwarming tradition would not be possible without the incredible generosity and dedication of some very special people.

We extend a massive thank you to the wonderful ladies of Lexington Baptist Church! Every year, they lovingly handcraft and assemble each gingerbread home for our children to decorate. Their tireless work and community spirit bring so much joy and sweetness to our school, and we are truly grateful for their partnership and their devotion to our students.

We wish all of our Jubilee Academy families a Christmas season filled with joy, peace, and the true spirit of the Lord!

The post Gingerbread Joy and the True Meaning of Christmas at Jubilee Academy! appeared first on Jubilee Academy.

]]> Pumpkin Painting https://jubileeacademysc.org/pumpkin-painting/ Mon, 05 Nov 2018 06:00:51 +0000 https://jubileeacademysc.org/?p=2184 Our after-school enrichment program isn’t just running around outside—although our students get lots of outside time! They also get a chance to try new experiences and activities together under the superivision of our enrichment teacher, Mrs. Johnson. She came up with an ambitious project where one afternoon, our students chose from pumpkins that had been...

The post Pumpkin Painting appeared first on Jubilee Academy.

]]> Our after-school enrichment program isn’t just running around outside—although our students get lots of outside time! They also get a chance to try new experiences and activities together under the superivision of our enrichment teacher, Mrs. Johnson. She came up with an ambitious project where one afternoon, our students chose from pumpkins that had been donated by a generous supporter and painted the pumpkin in whatever color they chose. On the following afternoon, they got to decorate their pumpkins with more paint and even glitter! We enjoyed having their beautiful pumpkins to decorate the school after they were done.

The post Pumpkin Painting appeared first on Jubilee Academy.

]]> Jubilee Goes to the Fair https://jubileeacademysc.org/jubilee-goes-to-the-fair/ Thu, 18 Oct 2018 14:59:27 +0000 https://jubileeacademysc.org/?p=1945 Thanks to generous in-kind donations, we were able to go to the fair during our enrichment week in October. The children LOVED the animals, the corn dogs, and all of the amazing exhibits. Opportunities like this are a blessing because it gives staff, parents, and children a chance to spend time together as part of...

The post Jubilee Goes to the Fair appeared first on Jubilee Academy.

]]> Thanks to generous in-kind donations, we were able to go to the fair during our enrichment week in October. The children LOVED the animals, the corn dogs, and all of the amazing exhibits. Opportunities like this are a blessing because it gives staff, parents, and children a chance to spend time together as part of the Jubilee family.

The post Jubilee Goes to the Fair appeared first on Jubilee Academy.

]]> Jubilee Goes Swimming! https://jubileeacademysc.org/jubilee-goes-swimming/ Tue, 16 Oct 2018 15:06:01 +0000 https://jubileeacademysc.org/?p=1986 Our students enjoyed two days of life-saving swimming lessons with Mrs. Libby Souder of Swim Columbia during our week of enrichment in October! This was a great opportunity to try something new and get some good exercise!  

The post Jubilee Goes Swimming! appeared first on Jubilee Academy.

]]> Our students enjoyed two days of life-saving swimming lessons with Mrs. Libby Souder of Swim Columbia during our week of enrichment in October! This was a great opportunity to try something new and get some good exercise!

 

The post Jubilee Goes Swimming! appeared first on Jubilee Academy.

]]>