Dear Brancher families,
Hello! Hola! Hiya! G’Day Mate! Bonjour! Namaste!
What a unique and adventurous month we had exploring and discovering different parts of the world! Whether we were taste-testing other foods or creating cultural art masterpieces, the Branchers were busy taking it all in and enjoying every minute!
First stop: MEXICO!
Spanish is the language spoken in Mexico, so the Branchers were excited when they discovered they already knew some Spanish of their own! Whether counting to 10, singing our ‘Thank You’ song, or simply saying hello, our Branchers spoke Spanish daily. As we embarked on our grand adventure, we discovered that Mexico’s culture was bursting with beautiful colors, incredible celebrations, and delicious food. To participate in hands-on learning, we made sensational sombreros, textured cacti, and our own homemade flour tortillas straight from an authentic tortilla press! Mexico didn’t disappoint!
Next stop: AUSTRALIA!
Here, we enjoyed learning about the fantastic animals of the outback. We learned about platypus, kangaroos, kookaburra, and koalas. Interesting fact: female kangaroos are doe’s and their babies are joeys. We also learned the Kookaburra song. Every destination wouldn’t be complete without art! So, as part of our journey to Australia, we created some aboriginal art. We printed out small silhouettes of kangaroos and glued them onto black paper. Then, each Brancher had the chance to use Q-tips and paint to make Australian dot art. After they made that, they didn’t want to stop! So we took to trying our hand with some dauber art next. They used various colors and traced their hand to complete their second piece of dot art. Each was unique and fun to practice a new type of art.
Pack your bags, we’re off to ENGLAND!
Our trip to England was packed with so much information and history. We discussed and discovered many different grand buildings and architecture. One of the most intriguing was The Elizabeth Tower, aka The Clock Tower. The Branchers realized a grandiose bell inside the tower named Big Ben, along with many other exciting and intriguing facts centered around the famous landmark. We discussed different ways of travel in busy cities, with the double-decker buses being the most popular. Incorporating other art activities with our discoveries is always fun, so creating our clock towers (with moving hands) and buses (with moving tires) was a must! Our trip to England would only be complete with a tea (decaf) taste test! What a sweet way to end our fun-filled trip
Last Stop: INDIA!
Although this stop was brief, it brought excitement and wonder! While visiting beautiful India, the Taj Mahal was a must. The marbled majestic building had all of the Branchers in awe! Another awe-inducing moment was when we discussed a Hindu festival: Holi. This festival celebrates Spring, love, and colors. Oh, the colors are so beautiful! We then put our Holi inspiration to work as each Brancher created their own Holi masterpieces using colorful chalk and water. Traveling throughout India made us quite hungry, so Naan was undoubtedly appreciated at the end of our travels.
February will surely be another fun month for us in the Branch classroom as we will learn, discuss, and discover teeth and dental care! Did you know that February is National Children’s Dental Health Month? The dental study is going to be nothing but impressive! Let the learning begin!
Miss Gracen & Miss Heather
