Frosty mornings preceded chilly days this week.  We were all thankful for our warm winter clothes.  Running also helped to keep us warm and build up our strong muscles.   Some of the children have been having a great time wrestling, which is a valuable activity for social, self-regulation, and brain development. We were also excited to be able to make mud due to some rainy weather, despite the cold. Monday students learned about the artist Jackson Pollock, who created enormous works of art by splattering and dribbling paint all over giant canvases.  The students were very excited to create their own splatter art out on the playground.  They bundled up in giant T-shirt smocks, wrapped their feet with plastic bags, and got to work flicking and dribbling paint all over their large papers. At the art table the children made place mats with pictures of all the things they are thankful for.  Some of the things they are thankful for: Christmas, sheep, cousins, when doctors give me stickers when I get a shot, Momma and Poppa, playing around with daddy, fire and rain, snowmen, blue, the sky, 3 because I am 3, a log truck, Mommy, rainbows, Me, Uncle Bob, my house, the mountains, and when people make me sad they say “sorry.” The children enjoyed drawing the various buildings and landmarks in town to put up on our wall map.  So far we have Sunnybrook, the fox statue, the library, Lancaster Dental, Weeks Medical Center, Passumpsic Savings Bank, the Post Office, The Polish Princess, Scorpios, Shaws, the gas station, the Community Garden, the Police Station, and the Fire Station.  We will continue to draw and add more throughout the year. In the sensory table the children helped Tammy make cloud dough with flour and baby oil.  They had a lot of fun molding and building with it, then cleaning it up afterwards.  They used brooms and carpet sweepers to sweep it up, then “skated” on washcloths to scrub the floor clean. Doctors and nurses cared for many patients in the Doctor’s office.  There were a lot of immunizations given to keep people healthy, and many injuries were tended to.
We continued to learn about bones, muscles, and organs and how we all have them.  We talked about how we all have similarities inside and out, including the things we enjoy, how we feel, and how we respond to different situations.  We had a lot of fun doing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” and “The Hokey Pokey.”

We also discussed how to take care of our teeth.  We sang the song, “Brush your Teeth” and practiced brushing ALL the sides of ALL of our teeth.

On Thursday everyone was very excited to visit Lancaster Dental where Liz demonstrated how to floss our teeth to get out all of the plaque.  We practiced flossing with play dough, duplos, and string, brushed a fish’s teeth, had fun doing some mouth and tooth puzzles, got to practice drilling out cavities and filling them, had a tour of the office to see all of the equipment, and observed Dr. Schmidt demonstrate how he gives an oral exam.  Everyone was given a sticker, a coloring book, a tooth necklace, and goody bag with flossers and a toothbrush.  When we returned to school, we began making thank you pictures for such a great field trip.  Thank you to Dr. Schmidt, Liz, Betsy, and all of the hygienists who worked so hard to make it a fun and educational visit!

Friday students spent the morning learning more about the organs of the body and their jobs. We read the book The Human Body, which taught us a lot of things about our bodies. We learned that we need energy to function, which we get from resting, eating, and breathing. The children felt their chests rise as they breathed in and lower as they breathed out.  They blew air into paper bags then sucked all of the air out to see how lungs inflate and deflate. All of the children took turns getting traced, then they cut out organs (brain, heart, lungs, liver, stomach, & intestines) and glued them onto their bodies in the proper places.