Child care class guides elementary students through daily skills
From arts and crafts to reading and math, Sue Dziecolowski’s vocational child care class assists elementary students from grades pre-k to fourth all around the district. Around 75 students in the class have done many activities such as making homemade applesauce, weaving Thanksgiving table placemats, and other learning activities. On Thursday, Dec 10, Dziecolowski’s 5th and 6th hour visited Sarah Beeler’s kindergarten class at Steenland Elementary to write letters to Santa, create Christmas trees out of paper plates, and color elves and reindeer.
“The letters to Santa was their first time writing a letter, as well as painting. When the child care class comes to visit them, they know they’ll be doing something special that allows them to move and utilize their creative minds,” Beeler said.
The elementary students enjoy when their “high school friends” work with them, according to student’s Giovonni Battagli and Evie Sutton. They help them stay on task with their core subjects, while having fun.
“It is very beneficial for the students; it gives them a one-on-one guide. As a teacher, it’s difficult to be in multiple places at once,” Beeler added.
Dziecolowski and her students plan activities for each grade to work on , which also helps the elementary teachers with lesson planning. Child care also helps by getting assigned to certain groups of kids to look over. In this group of kids, they help the students learn how to use and hold scissors, work with glue, assemble crafts, and write. When working with young children it is more than telling them what to do. Child care learns about different age groups through class instruction, in order to help them prepare when going to the schools.
“They have a strict curriculum to follow and it enables them to do something hands on and fun.” Dziecolowski said
“After taking this class, I would work with kids in the future,” junior Taylor McGuckin said.
