April 4, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Spring break stimulates senses for students
Dry spaghetti, anyone?
The Community Center of Hope, which operates outside but in coordination with the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp., puts on a sensory-centered event during spring break each year to augment students' classroom experience, according to Chelsea Kendall, the center's executive director.
Instead of sitting idly during the week they are out of school, member students through fourth grade experience the world of science and sensory perception by way of engaging, hands-on creativity, helping fulfill the center's mission to "identify, organize and facilitate programs and services for improving the quality of life of Hope, Ind., and the surrounding area," as stated on the organization's website.
Kendall said that out of about 60 children registered as members, about 20 took part in the week-long classes since March 13 at 543 Washington St. That was pretty good, considering the number of families who left for vacation during spring break.
Some children were there on the first Friday of spring break.
Taylen Absher, a fifth-grader, built a palm-size race car out of spaghetti and marshmallows. He said he chose to build a car, because he enjoys watching racing on television with his grandfather.
Nevaeh Paetzel, a first-grader, used those same ingredients to build what was supposed to look like a camp fire. She didn't have to pretend when it came to supplying her camp fire with marshmallows; the marshmallows were real.
She also built dumb bells and barbells, because her mother likes to work out at the gym.
The next table saw Regan Mack, a third-grader, and Madison Hollman, a fourth-grader, drawing their names in shaving cream.
Mindy Mullis, the K-5 teacher in charge of the class, said her goal was to give children the tools to use their imaginations. In the process, the children see, smell and touch those tools, making it a true sensory experience.
"The kids enjoy it," she said.[[In-content Ad]]
