We wanted something awesome to help us finish our transportation theme, and our friend Mr. Jason, from Bartram Racing, was happy to help by bringing his racecar! Mr. Jason taught us about all the special equipment he uses to keep him safe; things such as fire resistant suits and shoes, helmets, a window net and a five point harness. We also learned how race cars are different from the cars our parents drive. There are no doors, windows, or lights. The steering wheel comes off, and the car is full of gauges to let the driver know what is going on with the car during a race. We also learned that a racecar can not drive on the road like our parents cars, and that they are lots of fun to drive. Thank you Mr. Jason for bringing your racecar and taking the time to teach us all about it!

After the awesome school bus tour, as part of our transportation theme, we jumped right into our farm theme by making brown bread and homemade butter. We had fun shaking the jars to make the butter and using our knowledge of math and science to help us make the bread. Best of all, we got to eat it when we were done! It was so delicious!

Wow, what fun! Miss K, from the Citrus County School District Transportation Department stopped by to help us learn about what will soon be, to many of our kids, a very important mode of transportation; a big, yellow, school bus! We began by walking around the bus, checking out the tires, the lights, and all the gizmos attached to it. Then we boarded the bus and learned how kids sit in assigned seats, how to use the seat belts, and about the rules we must follow. We also learned where the emergency exits are and how to use them. We practiced an emergency exit, and how to safely cross the road when the bus arrives. We were even able to load up and take a quick "ride" so we could pull up at the center and practice exiting the bus, just like the schoolers do! Everyone did so well that Miss K gave each of us a School Bus Safety Award, along with a copy of the bus rules and some great activities. Thank you Miss K, and the rest of the transportation department, for helping us learn about this important mode of transportation.

As we wind down our transportation theme, although we still have a couple of surprises in store, we began this months second theme, farms. To help us get motivated, our friend Miss Amanda brought in a very special guest, Groot, the pot bellied pig! We learned a lot about Groot during his visit. We learned that he loves to eat fruits and vegetables, but that his favorite is hot dogs. We learned that he loves to play, and that he doesn't like the mud. Miss Amanda also brought everyone a bag of treats, for Groot, and everyone got to feed and pet him! It was a great experience for everyone, and it was hard to tell who was enjoying themselves the most, the kids or Groot. Thank you Miss Amanda and Groot for visiting and helping us learn about farm animals.

It's hard to believe we are more than halfway through February already! It has been a busy month, and I apologize for the lack of updates. I didn't even post our newsletter this month.... So, to get everyone caught up, I will start with our transportation theme, which is always a lot of fun, and a big hit for everyone. We began by getting our road crews ready, and enjoying a visit from our friend Mr. Whes and his semi! We enjoyed exploring the semi, seeing how big the tires were, learning how the trailer hooks up, how the freight is held in place, about the big diesel gas tanks and how the air brakes work. We also got to take a peek inside the tool cubby and at the big diesel motor. Mr. Whes even blew the air horn and taught us about how he lives in his truck; it even has a bed and kitchen inside! Thank you Mr. Whes for helping us kick off our transportation theme and teaching us about your semi!