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Oyster Bay Guidance Counselor named Long Island School Hero
By Sophia Chen
Floral Park-Bellerose first graders learn through hands-on pumpkin activities
Sophia Chen
Sophia Chen
Reporter · Garden City, NY
Sophia Chen is a dedicated education reporter with a background in teaching, having earned her Master’s in Education from Columbia University. With a focus on the Garden City School District, she previously reported for the New York Times’ local section, bringing a teacher's perspective to her coverage.
More from Sophia →Reporter · Friday, October 30, 2026 at 4:53 PM · 1 min read
First graders got a hands-on lesson in science, literacy and mathematics by exploring pumpkins through a series of classroom activities that combined learning with creativity. Students in Mrs. Kingsley’s first grade class at Floral Park-Bellerose School recently studied pumpkins through cross-curricular lessons designed to help them understand the fruit’s life cycle while developing descriptive writing, scientific observation and measurement skills. As part of the lessons, students learned how pumpkins grow from tiny seeds into ripe pumpkins ready for harvest. They discussed the different stages of the growing process and how pumpkins develop over time. [caption id="attachment_378173" align="alignnone" width="467"] Floral Park-Bellerose School first graders examine pumpkins as part of a hands-on classroom lesson. (Photo provide by Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District)[/caption] Read More: Searingtown students learn fire safety from Albertson firefighters The
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