Kindergartners at John Pearl and Edith L. Slocum elementary schools recently transformed into doctors for an afternoon during the “Teddy Bear Clinic,” a traveling injury prevention program sponsored by the Trauma Center at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Following a lesson on car and helmet safety, the kindergarten clinicians suited up in medical garb to care for stuffed their animal “patients,” while learning the essentials of keeping their fuzzy friends safe and healthy.

As part of their annual Dignity for All Students Act week, John Pearl Elementary School recently welcomed nonprofit organization Camfel Productions, who shared a dynamic three-screen multimedia presentation about the importance of “spreading kindness.” Through this presentation, students learned that one small act of kindness, an encouraging word or a smile can brighten someone’s day.

On Feb. 7, Connetquot’s John Pearl Elementary School welcomed students, teachers, friends and family to the school’s annual “O-Town Circus” assembly. Prior to the performance, fifth graders worked hard in their physical education classes to learn the skills necessary to perform as clowns, jugglers, plate spinners, stilt walkers and masters of the diablo stick and Chinese yo-yo.

The circus program, supported by the PTA, is designed to motivate students to participate more fully in physical education and cultural arts activities. The broad smiles on the faces of the performers and audience members confirmed that everyone enjoyed the show.