On Stuffie Hospital Day, pre-K, kindergarten and first grade students were invited to bring their “injured” stuffed animals to school for necessary surgical repair. The "doctors" held sessions on two different days in the Lower School Studio—one led by parents and the other by upper schoolers. Dressed in white coats or scrubs, the stuffie doctors asked for patient history, diagnosed various rips and tears, and then sewed up their fuzzy patients. Students were then given discharge instructions for their stuffies with details for at-home recovery.
Brooke Giles, Lower School studio arts teacher, has been a stuffie doctor for her pre-K students for years and felt there was an opportunity to expand her “medical practice.” "I love showing the students that the sewing skills we learn in the Studio are life skills, too,” she said. “Last year I had a lot of requests to fix stuffed animals, so I decided to make it a day. One of my students, now in kindergarten, even designed me a logo.”
The success of the scheduled clinic day prompted Giles to talk to visual and performing arts teacher EvaKay Noone about how her Upper School costume design students could help. “EvaKay, of course, also leaned into the dramatic play of it!” Giles said.
"It was really fun to be back in the Lower School and see all of my old teachers," said sophomore Gemma Kohles. "The stuffie hospital was such a great idea to connect upper schoolers with lower schoolers. It really brightened my day, and I hope I will have another opportunity to do this again in the future."
Giles wants to make Stuffie Hospital Day bigger and better next year. "I have more ideas for next year, including a few service aspects,” she said. “Just one of the things that the new Lower School building is making possible in expanding the reach of the Studio program."