Connetquot Central School District

Kindergartners at Slocum Elementary learned about injury prevention and safety during a special clinic with Stony Brook Children’s Hospital on Oct. 27.

To start, students discussed various ways to stay safe such as properly buckling seatbelts, protecting their heads by wearing helmets and sitting in a booster or car seat in the car. With the help of student volunteers, the kindergarteners and medical students performed short skits demonstrating safe and unsafe behaviors in the car.

Then, to reinforce the importance of helmet safety, student volunteers took part in an egg drop experiment. One egg, outfitted with a “helmet” and parachute, landed safely, while the unprotected egg broke upon impact.

Afterward, the kindergartners dressed as doctors and nurses and gave their stuffed animals checkups at the Teddy Bear Clinic. Students learned about medical care by applying bandages, gauze and splints to their furry patients. The program helped reinforce an important message: while accidents can happen, most injuries can be prevented.