Dear Branch Families,
We can’t believe how fast this year is flying by!
Another month has come and gone in the Branch
classroom. We hope you had a lovely February! We
sure felt the love in the Branch Classroom this
month. We loved seeing all our friends pass out and
share valentines. It is so sweet to watch their
friendships grow. We LOVE our Branchers!
Our Branchers definitely had heART this month!
From self-portraits, to cut out hearts, and heart
shaped name flags. We love to create! We started off
practicing our cutting skills this month by making
cut out hearts for our Valentine envelopes. The
Branchers worked hard to cut out countless hearts to
decorate their envelopes. They looked lovely!
No month would be complete without self portraits.
This month we chose to make our self-portraits in
the shape of a heart. Our Branchers continue to
impress us with their attention to detail as they
continue to progress in their fine motor skills. Lastly,
we updated our name flags. The Branchers tried a
new medium and used silky crayons to color their
hearts. Then they searched for the letters in their
names from various magazines to cut out and glue
onto their hearts. They turned out AMAZING and
our Branchers are getting so good at recognizing
their letters!
After love day had passed, our Branchers got busy
learning about all things dental health! We explored
and studied how to take care of our teeth. Then we
learned about dentists and their tools. Lastly, we took
a deeper dive and talked about what our teeth are
made of and we discussed healthy food choices to
keep our smiles healthy! The Branchers really got
into this study. We had friends talking about how
often they brushed their teeth, reporting back on
what their teeth looked like, and even some friends
took trips to the dentist during the month and told us
about their experience.
We explored our teeth and learned what they do, how
we can keep them healthy, and why we brush them.
In every study, the Branch kids expand their
vocabulary. New vocabulary we practiced this month
were the names of our three types of teeth: Incisors,
canines, and molars. We were so impressed by how
quickly they picked up these words! Before we knew
it the kids were using these words to talk with their
friends about their mouth. At lunch they proudly told
us that they are using their incisors and canines to
tear food and take bites. They also learned that their
molars in the back helped them to mash-up food.
Next we focused on the importance of dental care.
BRUSH, BRUSH, BRUSH! We practiced a catchy
new song that talked about the different motions for
brushing our teeth. Our Branchers then got to
practice brushing on a teeth model. Next they made
paper toothbrushes practicing their cutting and
gluing skills. We learned about flossing and the
importance of getting the spots in between our teeth
that the toothbrush can’t reach. We later used floss to
practice our lacing skills. We cut out paper in the
shape of a tooth and the Branchers practiced with
floss to lace all the way around it.
After learning the names of our teeth, what they are
used for, and how to take care of them. We then
focused on learning about what is inside them. The
Branchers got to look at different teeth diagrams and
learn about the hard, white substance called enamel
that covers our teeth. The enamel of the tooth was
seen as the armor of the tooth- its strong and protects
the tooth. We then have dentin under the enamel,
which also protects the tooth by covering up the pulp
with a soft-squishy cushion. The pulp is an
important part of the tooth since it holds the blood
vessels that keep the tooth attached and thriving.
Each Brancher then had a chance to create their own
tooth diagram. They cut out the three parts of the
tooth. They then traced the words to label the
different parts of the tooth.
Each month we try to find ways to incorporate
hands-on activities for the children to participate in.
This month in the Branch classroom our learning got
hands-on as we changed our home station into a
dental office! Thanks to Dr. Reiher who provided the
realistic props for the classroom, the Branchers had
the opportunity to take turns working in the dentist
office. We provided clip boards and phones to make
appointments. They had white coats, eye protection,
and a light box to check the X-Rays. They performed
countless “check-ups” this month. Thankfully there
are no cavities in the Branch room!
One of our favorite activities during this month was
our “Egg-cellent” science experiment. During this
experiment, we asked ourselves, “What would
happen to our teeth if we drank or ate too much
sugar?” To test it out we used our imaginations to
pretend that an egg was a tooth. Next we submerged
one egg into water, and another into sugary soda.
After a few days, we were able to see that the egg
soaked in soda had begun to change color! We came
to the conclusion that if we drank too much soda and
didn’t brush our teeth properly, our teeth could
quickly begin to change color and become unhealthy.
We had a wonderful time learning about all things
dental health. We are sad to see February come to an
end but are looking forward to what March holds for
us. Our March study is Radical Rainbows and
Rhymes! We will be learning all about colors,
rainbows, rhyming words, and of course digging into
some Dr. Suess and some leprechaun magic. Stay
tuned for a colorful and magical month!
-Miss Gracen and Miss Heather
