Uniforms and Costumes

The last week of our clothing study we discussed the clothes that people wear to work. One of our parents wears a special uniform to work. Mr. Pannell is a U.S. Army Drill Sergeant/Combat Medic. He served our country during Operation Iraq Freedom in 2003-2004. He came by our classroom to show the children his camouflage uniform. We learned that people wear camouflage to help them blend in with their surroundings. As he entered the room we could not help but notice that his uniform had patches and letters sewn on the fabric. Letter “U” was discussed this week and we noticed it on Mr. Pannell’s uniform. We learned that it represented the word United. The patch under the American flag represents the 44th Medical Brigade out of Fort Bragg, NC. The patch on his left shoulder represents his drill sergeant unit where he is assigned. He is with the the 95th Division out of Ft. Sill , OK. A special thank you to Mr. Pannell for his service to our country and for giving our class a ‘‘WOW” moment. On Monday the 11th of November we will have a special all school chapel to recognize our veterans for their service.

We celebrated the end of the clothing unit with a great Fall Fashion Show! A rainbow of colors filled the classroom as the children walked through the door and proudly took their places in front of the audience. Each child came forward as I described their stunning outfit. After I announced all the children it was time to sing for the parents. The children loved singing and reciting finger plays. Music has the ability to strengthen the connection between the body and the brain. When children dance and sing they develop better motor skills. Exposing children to songs helps them learn the sounds and meaning of words. Memory skills are enhanced as they learn their songs and finger plays. Children develop their musical skills through imitating and memorizing rhythms and tones of songs. One thing I love about St. James is the fact that even the youngest students are able to participate in a music class every Tuesday with Mrs. Tipton. After we preformed it was time to eat and party. We had a blast at the Halloween Party! A special thank you to all of the parents for helping make this a special day for the children.