Always loving. Always learning.

Precious December 2013

Ok readers, I'm back! I took a little hiatus from the blogging world during the holidays. December was chuck full of fun activities and gatherings with both friends and family. And at school, we were just like elves in a workshop, working away. Time seemed to pass so quickly between Thanksgiving and Christmas but like the saying goes, "time flies when you're having fun".

I enjoyed looking back at the pictures I took in December, now, a week into 2014. I was reminded of all that we did together in such a short amount of time and I couldn't help but smile. We learned about different culture's beliefs and traditions in December, as well as crafted Christmas gifts for our loved ones. We exchanged beautifully wrapped books with one another. And we collected and wrapped gifts for a family who did not have the means for any presents. It was just a wonderful holiday season!

The following pictures should give you an idea of just how much fun we had at school before the Christmas and New Years break. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

The People of Our World Have Different Beliefs

Presentations of December holidays were multi-sensory. We tried a traditional food for each Kwanzaa, Las Posadas (tamales), and Hanukkah (latkes). We sang songs that taught us about the symbols and beliefs of the different holiday celebrations. Literature helped us visualize the qualities of the holidays while entertaining us with some fun tales. Playing "dreidel"(the traditional game of Hanukkah), and whacking the piñata (a tradition in Mexico in celebration of Las Posadas), were favorite activities of the children.

Kwanzaa

A song, "Kwanzaa Kineras", described the "7 Principles" and what each candle on the "kineras" represented. We even had the opportunity to speak words in the Swahihi language- Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-demtermination), Ujima (Cooperative Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Business), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), Imani (Faith), and Kwanzaa (first fruits).

Since Kwanzaa is a celebration of the harvest, we ate red tomato slices and sweet green pepper because they are vegetables that are the colors of Kwanzaa. The added bonus was it offered a chance to try a new nutritious snack!

Las Posadas

We read the book, The Night of Las Posadas, which had an alluring bit of mystery but also described well, a tradition on Las Posadas- reacting "Mary and Joseph's" search for shelter before giving birth to "Jesus" in a manger.

Before tasting corn tamales we read a funny story, Too Many Tamales, about Mexican children helping their family make tamales for their holiday party. The children in the story learned a couple valuable life lessons that we were able to discuss. And I feel after knowing the ingredients and hearing the relative tale, the children were more likely to try a tamale.

Oh boy, were the kids excited for the piñata! They cheered loudly after every whack. There were mixed emotions, however, when artificial snowflakes fell from the piñata rather than candy…

Hanukkah

Eating "Latkes" with apple sauce and sour cream, lighting the Menorah, and playing the dreidel game were activities I think the children will always remember!

Cinnamon Ornaments

A Parent volunteer brought in materials to make cinnamon ornaments and mixed it up while discussing the ingredients with the children.

Later that day we rolled out the pleasant smelling dough to cut holidays shapes.

After a few days of hardening, we were able to paint!

Hopefully your child's ornament will have a scent of cinnamon for many Christmas's to come!

Our Book Exchange

Each child brought in a wrapped book to exchange with a friend. We played music while we passed the presents around a circle. When the music stopped we opened the presents we were holding. Many children were incredibly happy with their new book, while others learned a valuable lesson about the gifts of giving and exchanging.

Wrapping Gifts for Our Adopted Family

Throughout the month of December we collected gifts completing the wish list of a teenage girl and a young boy that would not have gotten presents otherwise. Wrapping the gifts ourselves, was a gratifying process! We built communication skills and demonstrated inspiring cooperative effort.

Constructing a Gingerbread House

It was great to see the children work together on the construction and decoration of the a class gingerbread house. Designing a miniature house with gingerbread and candy pieces is a tradition for many throughout the United States, so I'm am glad we created one together!