Magic seeds

Since we've been learning about seeds, Mrs. Connie acquired some "magic" seeds.

We planted them in grand fashion today, and we can't wait to see what they grow into!

Group photo with Mrs. Connie!

Group photo with Mrs. LeeAnne!



Visit from the fire truck!

Today we had some super special visitors—four firefighters from the Chattanooga Fire Dept. (and their ladder truck)! Their visit was the perfect finish of our first aid/emergency worker week!

We reviewed stop, drop, and roll, and we talked about the special equipment firefighters use.

Our K-3's were very brave around such unfamiliar people!

One of the most important lessons from today was learning not to hide from a firefighter in the event of an emergency. Often, children are frightened of firefighters wearing their scary suits, helmets, and tanks.Officer Smith put on each piece of her uniform, piece by piece, allowing the children to see that it was really a nice person underneath all that gear.

Finally, we got to walk through the truck! 

Some of our kids would have stayed there all day if we'd let them!

Thank you, Station 8, for being so wonderful to our kiddos!

Things kids say ...

Mrs. Connie and I crack up daily at some of the things these kiddos say. About a week ago, I decided to keep track of some of the best ones. Here's a sample:

• "Boys are really complicated."
• "Sometimes my tummy hurts a lot, but really it's just the poop waiting to come out."
• "There's a shoe in my rock!"
• after a loud clap of thunder: "OH SHOOT! That was little tiny big one!"
• Mrs. Connie came to work without makeup one day. She said to one of our littles, "I don't look the same without lipstick, do I?" The little girl quickly replied, "Mrs. Connie, my name's not Do-I, it's Gemma!"
• During morning prayer requests: "We need to pray for my Mommy and Daddy so the dogs won't poop in the house anymore!"
• We were discussing an older brother's trip to the emergency room after he fell at a local restaurant play area. Mrs. LeeAnne wondered out lout how many kids end up in the ER after going to this play area, and without missing a beat, little sis answered, "Six." 

I guess that answers that ... and then some! I hope some of these made you smile on this Monday!

F is for first aid

While learning about the letters E and F, we've been incorporating community helpers like ambulance drivers doctors, and police officers, who help in emergencies (for the letter E), and fire-fighters and first aid (for the letter F). Today we read a couple of books about doctors, and then we practiced being doctors and patients! The students paired up and took turns examining each other.

Toy doctor kits are a great way for kids to feel comfortable visiting their doctor!

Later in the day, we made first aid kits. These were a really inexpensive way to teach the kiddos about basic safety and what to do when minor boo-boos happen.

Most of our first-aid kit contents were dollar store finds -- small plastic containers, large gauze pads, band-aids, alcohol swabs, tissues, and a mask. As we added each item, we discussed how it helps us. 

We used strips of red felt to make a red cross for the lids of our kits. When we asked the children what a cross stood for, one of our precious boys screamed out "JESUS!" 

Peeling stickers is good for students' fine motor skills!

Stickers are done - now ready to add supplies!

This girl always injects a bit of silliness into her projects!

Filling a first aid kit is serious business!

In goes the mask!

Mrs. Connie explains how each item helps us.

We will be sending the kits home next week, and we hope they'll be helpful to you and your little ones!

Messes are fun ... and educational!

On Friday, we had a lower-than-usual number of students here, so we took advantage of this opportunity to have some messy fun! We made a cornstarch/water mixture and showed the students how it sometimes acts as a solid and other times as a liquid. 

They loved running their hands through it!

Transferring the mixture from bowl to bowl was tons of fun!

The messier we are, the more fun we're having!

We also made "exploration bags" - a mixture of food coloring, corn starch, water, and oil. 

When taped to the table, these bags were great for practicing our letters!

Messy days are fun days!