We left our shoes out on Friday and when we came in today...
Today we had the opportunity to visit two countries! Due to the power outage and early dismissal on Friday, we did not get to all of our learning on The Netherlands. Before we dismissed, we learned a little about Sinter Klaas and the St. Nicholas Day celebration that takes place in The Netherlands. Children leave their shoes out by a door or window on November 5th and Sinter Klaas and his Zwarte Piet (servants), sail on a ship from Spain and deliver gifts to all of the children. If the children are good, they receive gifts from Sinter Klaas, but if they are naughty, they Zwarte Piet chase them around with sticks! Ha! We got a kick out of this fun fact! We left our shoes out on Friday and when we came in today... Sinter Klaas came!!! He delivered candy, small oranges, erasers, and pencils. Candy for breakfast on a Monday morning? Sure, why not? I let the kids have 10 minutes of mass chaos, gift opening, and candy consuming before we got down to business for the day! Throughout the day, we learned more about Sinter Klaas. He comes into town riding a white horse and wearing a red bishop's robe and a mitre hat. We were able to make our very own mitre hats and the kids looked downright adorable, if I do say so myself! We also made some cute little wooden clogs that went into our travel suitcases. One of our students even grew a beard during the school day! He was really getting into the Christmas spirit! Next, we traveled to India where we learned all about Diwali or the Festival of Lights. Indians celebrate Diwali either in October or November, depending on the position of the moon. We learned that Indians light colorful clay lamps outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. We learned that Diwali is just as important to people of the Hindu religion as Christmas is to Christians. We made some Christmas-themed paper lanterns to take home & display in our own homes during the Christmas season! Check back tomorrow. We'll be traveling to Israel!
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News & Notes for the Week of December 7th
It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's 2nd Grade! |
AuthorMrs. Brunt is a third grade teacher at Whiteford Elementary. Archives
July 2019
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