Hello all,
Community Week has come and gone and boy, was it great! Read on below to learn all about the fun that was had and learning that took place!
The students kicked off Community Week by defining the word, “Community”. Through a discussion, it was determined that a community is a group of people who live in one place called a neighborhood. The teachers explained that the students would spend the week discussing, learning about and even meeting some of the people that are considered community helpers!
Monday was a Craft Day at PPA Summer Camp and the students were eager to get right to work when they heard they would be creating a special craft inspired by a very important community helper. Can you guess which community helper was the inspiration for Monday’s craft from the following clues?
1. This community member patrols the neighborhood in a squad car to help keep everyone safe!
2. This community member wears a special uniform that is often blue.
3. This community member’s telephone number is 9-1-1!
Do you know who this community member is?
If you said, “a Police Officer” then you are correct!
For their morning work, the students created the most identifiable item on a police officer’s uniform – a badge! Look below to see the students in action creating their own Park Prep Academy Junior Police Officer Badges!
Tuesday began with the students creating a list of all the different community members and helpers they could think of. Here is the list that they came up with!
The students were thrilled to learn later that day they would be meeting someone who plays a very important role in our community – Fire Monitor Mike! Fire Monitor Mike explained to the students a long, long time ago before Park Prep Academy opened its doors for the first day of school, his company came in and installed dozens of fire and smoke monitoring devices around the school like the one pictured below.
He explained that each one of the detectors found on the ceiling is like a mini-computer that sends information to his office. Fire Monitor Mike explained that if there was ever any smoke or fire in Park Prep Academy, the detectors would sound a very loud alarm to let everyone inside the school know to “GET OUT and STAY OUT!” The detectors also send information to Fire Monitor Mike who then calls the Fire Department in Jersey City! One older student asked Fire Monitor Mike if the detectors work even when no one is at the school. Fire Monitor Mike said that the detectors and his company ALWAYS are monitoring ALL THE TIME. The students realized how important of a role Fire Monitor Mike plays in keeping us and our school safe – even when no one is inside! Fire Monitor Mike explained that he was at Park Prep on Tuesday to meet the students and also do a quick “check-up” on all of the detectors to make sure they were working just right! What a great day!
Speaking of check-ups, on Wednesday the students learned all about another community helper! See if you can figure out which one from the clues below!
1. This community member makes boo-boos feel better.
2. This community member helps us get better when we are feeling sick.
3. We have one as a teacher at PPA!
Do you know who this community member is?
If you said, “a Doctor!” then you are correct!
Look below to see the students in action creating their own stethoscope!
During the afternoon, the students discussed what happens at the doctor’s office and why it is important to go! Of particular interest were needles and shots. With the help of some funny-looking sketches, Miss Jocelyn explained why shots are necessary sometimes! After an interactive and fun discussion about the way our bodies fight germs to get better, it was decided that our bodies are kind of like superheroes! After seeing the way that the medicine the doctor gives us helps to make our body stronger and fight those icky germs, the students decided that they would be quite brave on their next doctor visit!
(Parents – Ask your child about these images and see if they can explain to you a bit about what happens in our bodies when we get sick)
Thursday marked the first bus field trip of the school year to the Newark Museum and Planetarium! Bus Driver Mike arrived with his amazing school bus and the students were off! Before long, the students arrived at the museum and headed into a private show at the planetarium! Unfortunately cameras were not permitted inside the planetarium once the show started but what an interesting show it was! The students loved learning about the different constellations! The museum tour continued as the students observed and discussed various pieces of art around the museum. The students particularly loved the “Fit Zone” and “Dynamic Earth” sections of the museum. Take a peek below for some of the highlights from the students’ day at the Newark Museum!
On Friday, the plans to head to the Jersey City Fire House were foiled by some rainy weather conditions. The walking field trip was rescheduled for next Wednesday, July 25th. The students were in good spirits as they learned about the updated plan during morning meeting. After working in their morning activity stations, the students participated in a technology presentation all about the people who live and work in the neighborhood! The students loved hearing about all of the different people in the community! As you can see from the clips below, the songs are quite catchy and certainly fun!
What an amazing week it was learning all about our incredible community! A special Park Prep Thank You to all of the community helpers that worked with us this week! We love you! Be sure to check back next week as we head into “Zoo Week”. As always, thank you for reading. Have a fun and safe weekend!
-PPA
Reminders:
Events Next Week:
Monday – Craft Day!
Tuesday –Craft Day and a Surprise Guest visits PPA!
Wednesday – Rescheduled Fire House Walking Field Trip!
Thursday – E.M.T. Tom Visits PPA!
Friday – Turtle Back Zoo Bus Trip!
All students must wear the camp shirt and pack a completely disposable lunch today!
The bus will depart at 9:00 a.m. and return at 1:30 p.m.
Parents welcome to attend – don’t forget to pack a lunch, if so!
Please notify Miss Justine if you plan to attend!
