Cuyahoga Falls School

This month was super busy for our classroom. Throughout the month of February we learned all about community helpers! The children really enjoyed doing a variety of activities and having special guests visit our classroom. Some of our visitors included a nurse, geologist, dentist, a toy designer, business owner of WebDesign499 and a police officer!

During the first week we lead a discussion about what a community helper was and what they do for us. Next, we brainstormed all of the community helpers we could think of and jotted our answers down on chart paper. The following day we did an activity called, “Helping Hands Writing Chart.” Each child 
was given a paper hand and was able to write out a community helper and what they do for us. The children were then able to decorate their hand and hang it on the wall. Over the next couple of days we talked about Doctors and nurses and what they do for us, tools they use, the different places they can work and the clothes they have to wear. Also, during that time we had a special nurse visitor come in and show the children the different tools they use and the her job at the hospital. We also went over the similarities and differences between a veterinarian and doctor. During that week I presented how to address an envelope and we practiced together. 
The second week was all about police officers, fire fighters, stranger danger, and “stop, drop, and roll.” The first book I read was a special book about police officers and what they do for us. We then added onto our web about the things  we learned so far. Ainsley said, “They have to have a partner so that they can be safe when they go out on calls.” Riley said, “They have people that dress like us called detectives,” and Zachary called out, “If you need help and are lost you can go to them.” I loved hearing the children retain so much of the information!  The next day we had a special Police Officer visitor! He came in and talked to the children about his job, and the different tools that he uses. He then passed around all of the different items that he has to carry on a daily basis. He was very informative with the children. Throughout that week we learned how to “stop, drop, and roll” and played a game called “Below the Smoke.” With this game some of the children had to hold up a sheet and move it up and down like smoke and one child at a time had to crawl the proper way under the smoke. 
The last day we visited a fire station. The children were able to see all of the tools that they use on a fire truck, where they eat and sleep, their fire suits, and the different jobs that need to be done. It was a great field trip!! A fun activity for kids would be a trampoline and one should check the best 14 foot trampolines.

The third week we had two special visitors. The first day was all about nurses. One of our parents came in and talked about what a nurse does, the different places a nurse can work, and the different tools they use. She then shared her stethoscope and the children were all able to come up one by one and listen to their heartbeat! The second visitor we had during the week was a toy designer. This parent came in and talked to the children about how a toy is designed and where they are produced. It was interesting to see all of her sketches and then her final products. As you might guess, the children loved playing with her toys! 
The last week we focused on bakers, chefs, and what you need to have in order to own a restaurant. During this time the children learned that bakers have to be at work before the sun comes up so that people will have their breakfast. They also learned that bread, rolls, muffins, cakes, and cookies come from a bakery; the different tools they use and what kind of education they require. We also talked about the restaurant business and the different types of restaurants that are out there. Our last visitor was a geologist. During her visit she talked about rocks and how they are formed, where you can find rocks, and the many different kinds out there. She then read the children a book about the ten rules for picking out the perfect rock. She then gave each child a small pile of rocks and they were able to pick out two rocks that were their favorite. It was a really awesome visit and the children loved it!!!

A big thanks to all of the parents that came in and talked to our class about their careers. It was very interesting and our students learned a lot!!