Last fall as well as this winter SMART START friends were introduced to the veterinary field. Here at school we have both a love and passion for animals and share that with our students on a daily basis. Pupils interact with class pets, as well as take part in their care. Class pets include rabbits Pilot and Harriet and chickens, Caroline and Charlotte. Gertrude the guinea pig, made a guest appearance last year during the unit of study. The children have grown to love all the pets and have learned so much about them. The animals have also contributed to the growth of our young learners in the following areas and values;
- Self-esteem
- Responsibility
- Compassion
- Empathy
- Teamwork
- Sharing.
SMART START friends love to listen to and read books. We lined our bookshelves with materials surrounding the veterinary field and animals. During our group story time the children eagerly asked questions and shared personal stories. We take great pleasure in hearing their stories as they are told with such joy and pride. Nature lovers were excited to have story time outside. Barny the Barn Owl even joined in! We think Barny especially loved this unit of study!
Our animated group were quite fond of dress up and dramatic play. They put on veterinarian uniforms, took plastic vet tools into their hands with confidence as they cared for all the animals in the classroom, even our beloved class pets. SMART START vets were proud and passionate as they treated the animals. They worked together beautifully which assisted keeping pets at ease. Young vets pretended to listen to hearts, administer shots and check eyes and ears. Both Pilot and Gertrude, as well as the stuffed animals, were well groomed with brushes. We were proud of our students and was a pleasure to witness all drawing upon their newly attained knowledge and skill set. A job well done!
Our arts and crafts portion entailed creating a pet carrier for a take home dog that each child received. SMART START artists decorated a small box by drizzling glue and covering with multi colored tissue paper and glitter. The Carriers looked fabulous! SMART START vets each had a check list and performed specific actions such as listening to a heart beat, using a Band-Aid and applying an ace bandage. Young learners also answered questions about their dogs such as name, how they are feeling, etc. All were proud of their creations and excited to take their new pets home.
🐰 Veterinarian Field Trip 🐰
SMART START vets were thrilled for field trip day! As always, the children dressed in the SMART START field trip t-shirts and behaved wonderfully during the field trip. The veterinarians happily shared information about what their jobs entail and stressed what an important part of the community they are. Below are pictures from 2018 and 2019 field trips!
2018:
2019:
We hope your child(ren) enjoyed our veterinary curriculum here at school! Thank you for your support in our on site field trip program!
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