When a Fire Truck Pulls Up at School…

A Fire Truck Visit Full of Questions

You never quite know what might happen at NCCL.

Recently, a fire truck from Aetna Hose, Hook, and Ladder Company pulled up at school to drop off some flyers, and our students got an impromptu tour!

Students climbed inside the truck, checked out the cab, and explored all of the gear firefighters need when they head out on a call. The firefighters opened up the truck’s many compartments and showed students the equipment tucked inside. They pulled out the hose, and students even got to try on some of the firefighting gear.

The visit was especially exciting for Group 1, who are currently exploring a unit study on Community. They've been learning about the people, places, and jobs that help make a community work, so getting to meet firefighters and see their equipment up close was a perfect connection to what they’ve been talking about in the classroom.

Of course, one of the best parts was the questions from students

“Do firefighters really rescue cats from trees?” Yes! Apparently, this is absolutely a real thing, and firefighters do it all the time.

There were plenty of others, too:

“Do you sleep at the fire station?”
“What do you have for dinner at the station?”
“How fast can the fire truck go?”
“What happens if you’re eating dinner and the alarm goes off?”
“Do you really slide down the pole?”

This is one of the things we love about learning at NCCL. We don't have to squeeze hands-on experiences into an already packed day. Our progressive approach give us the flexibility to follow students' curiosity and make room for learning when an opportunity presents itself.

And our small class sizes mean that students from Kindergarten through 5th grade are learning from and with one another every day. Older students can share what they know, younger students bring their own questions and ideas, and everyone has the chance to build on what they've learned together.

Sometimes that learning happens in a classroom. Sometimes it happens outside. And sometimes it happens because a fire truck happens to pull up at school.

We believe children learn by being involved in the world around them. When something interesting comes along, we want to make room for it.

Thank you to Aetna Hose, Hook, and Ladder for taking the time to visit us, show us around, and answer all of our questions. You can check out more photos from their visit below!