Air Products Helps Spruce Up LVCC

LVCC loves volunteers. Whether reading to the children or beautifying the buildings, volunteers help our staff in making the environment safe and supportive of the children's physical, emotional and cognitive development. The young professionals group from the Air Products Career Development Program recently visited two of our centers, providing a little TLC to the facilities.

At LVCC on Walnut Street, Air Products volunteers brightened the entrance of the building by hanging colorful canvases.  Outside, they painted the fencing and porch of our playground area. LVCC parents later commented on the good job by the volunteers.

Another group of Air Products volunteers, armed with gardening tools and shovels, landscaped the grounds of LVCC at South Mountain. They cleared weeds and overgrown shrubbery from around the building. Once finished, the building looked as if it had been professionally landscaped.

Thank you Air Products for sprucing up our centers! We greatly appreciate the time spent and hard labor required to accomplish the task.

DaVinci Science Center Uses Gross Gunk As a Learning Tool

Making hand sanitizer.

If it stinks, oozes, crusts, or mushes, kids are fascinated. Thanks to a generous grant from the Dexter F. & Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, this summer the school-age classes at LVCC's Judith Chase Early Learning Center and LVCC on Union Boulevard discovered the captivating world of body functions with the help of DaVinci Science Center. Bringing their Science on the Move program to the classroom, the DaVinci Science Center explored the "impolite" science of the human body. For seven weeks, the children conducted hands-on experiments with sounds, smells, fluids and body parts in the "Grossology" lessons.

Want to know why you become flatulent after eating? Ask your child! Their exploration of gross sounds and smells had them belching into balloons and testing smell kits.

How can bodily fluids teach science? Children were introduced to biology as they searched for small animal bones, fur and feathers in regurgitated owl pellets. While making troll boogers and dragon toothpaste using household products, the children explored basic chemistry. An experiment with hand sanitizer led to a discussion about germs and microbiology.

Dissecting an owl pellet with toothpicks.

The older school-ages discovered the thrill of forensics. During the dissection of a cow eyeball (demonstrated by the DaVinci educator), a number of "that's so cool!" comments could be heard among the few "ews" and "yucks." After examining bones and simulated organ dissections, the children have a better understanding of anatomy.

The children also took a field trip to the DaVinci Science Center, where their gross exploration introduced them to interactive animatronics and imaginative exhibits. Where else can you make a giant cartoon character belch from a three-foot soda can?

View Photos of DaVinci Science Center Experiments 

Mr. Steve, DaVinci Science Center educator,
demonstrates a cow eyeball dissection.

Fun & Safety at the Pool

Thanks to the generosity of the Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation, LVCC's Campus Center partnered with the Westside Park Pool in Bethlehem to help reduce the the risk of drowning among children. From June to July, the summer school-age children participated in six swimming lessons conducted by certified swim aids.

The children were first introduced to water safety tips (i.e. never dive head first off the side of a pool, don't run alongside the pool).

With the use of flotation devices, beginners learned basic swim skills like floating and paddling. They practiced submerging their heads underwater. As their skills developed, they advanced to the intermediate level.

Intermediate swimmers built upon those basic skills to refine movement and endurance. They coordinated kicking and arm movements, eventually swimming underwater. Able to hold their breath for longer periods of time, they retrieved rings at the bottom of the pool.

For the rest of the summer, the children will now go to the pool more confident in their swimming abilities.

Practicing kicking

Swim aid guides student as she kicks.

The student learns to guide himself using a floating board and kicking.

Practicing kicking and holding breath underwater

Treading water

Diving for rings

Red Light, Green Light: Safety on the Street

Look both ways before crossing the street. This may seem to be common-sense, but to young children who need to be aware of their surroundings, this simple message can save their life. During a visit with LVCC at Stones Crossing preschool and school-age children today, retired state trooper, Jack Brown, provided many other safety awareness tips.

Using actual traffic lights and other colorful visuals, Trooper Brown engaged the class in conversation about the importance of street safety. The children were introduced to familiar and some not-so-familiar road signs. With the help of a puppet friend, the children learned to beware of strangers through songs.

Trooper Brown had help from the Sesame Street gang to promote safety awareness.

The puppet show discussed being aware of strangers and your surroundings.

Trooper Brown introduced the children to visuals they can recognize on the street.

Audience participation

Thank you Trooper Brown for helping us stay safe!