The first grade students at Dogwood Elementary School transformed into budding young architects during their log cabin making experience on Dec. 6. Using a milk carton as a base, the students got creative in their cabin’s design using pretzel logs, icing, gumdrops, gummy bears and plenty of other sweets to decorate their individual homes. 

As a culminating activity to their lessons on Native American history, the first grade classes at Dogwood Elementary School participated in hands-on learning centers on Nov. 26.
Gathered by the teepee and around the deerskin rug, the students learned about some of the Native American traditions and the roles of the different members of the family. Students touched antlers, turtle shells and feathers as they gathered in a circle for storytelling time. On display around them were the Native American habitat posters they created and dreamcatchers that hung from the ceiling.
Wearing their Native American shirts that featured different symbols, one classroom station also created hats using the symbols. Students colored and created totem poles in another learning station.
During the hunting and fishing portion of the centers, students used magnetics on a fishing pole to catch their fish for dinner. Using spears and bows and arrows, the students tried their hands at hunting buffalo. 

Kindergartners at Dogwood Elementary School had the opportunity to play doctor to their ailing stuffed animals during a teddy bear clinic hosted by Stony Brook Hospital and their nursing students on Nov. 12. 

The students learned about safety both in the car and when they are doing activities, such as bike riding, skateboarding and riding their scooter. Kristi Ladowski, injury prevention coordinator at the hospital, spoke to the students about injury prevention and the importance of keeping safe in the car. She also demonstrated how wearing a helmet during sports and other activities can help reduce the risk of injuries. 
Dressed in their masks and gloves, the students then acted as the caregiver for their stuffed animals, helping to diagnose their ailment, treat and bandage their wounds and give them after-care instructions. 

First graders at Dogwood Elementary School welcomed in the fall season and have been busy working on fall-related activities in November. The students wrote poems about what fall means to them. They also participated in fall centers where they rotated to the different classrooms for hands-on lessons.