Happy Holidays!
12/21/2019
It is the time of year where families around the world gather together, celebrate holidays and winter traditions! Holiday celebrations can be wonderful opportunities for children to learn about the traditions and values that are cherished. Holiday traditions add meaning to our celebrations and strengthen memories that last for years to come. During Morning Meeting, we went around in a circle and shared a holiday tradition. It was lovely to hear about the traditions celebrated in your homes. This activity allowed students to learn about love, respect and acceptance for one another. The Holiday season is also a time to spread joy and kindness. Opportunities for kindness present themselves daily in the Orca classroom. The children practice taking turns, sharing, and speaking to each other in a respectful manner. We read the classic story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss. The Grinch comes down from his mountaintop home and sneaks into town to swipe everything holiday related. We talked about why the Grinch behaved this way. The students stated that the Grinch was isolated and lonely. Our mission was to teach the Grinch about compassion and to spread kindness. Kindness involves having empathy which requires the ability to take the perspective of others. The Grinch behaved harshly because he felt alone. The students decided that they would spread kindness by including him in activities, by teaching him how to share, and by complimenting him. Students used paper, sequins, and art supplies to decorate paper hearts. They wrote an act of kindness on each heart and taped it on the poster making the Grinch's tiny heart grow 3 times its size! We then incorporated science to help the Grinch's heart grow! This experiment not only taught students about kindness but it also allowed students to practice following step by step directions; an important preschool skill. The children divided into groups of three and took turns following the steps to grow the Grinch's heart. The first step was to add vinegar to an empty bottle. The students then attached a balloon or “heart” to the bottom of a funnel and filled it with three teaspoons of baking soda which represented kindness. We reviewed the different units of measurements including teaspoon and tablespoon during the experiment. We went around the room and shared acts of kindness. Lastly, the students lifted the balloon up and shook the baking soda into the bottle. The balloon started inflating. The students were excited and amazed to see the “Grinch's heart” grow! We also made salt dough ornaments using flour, salt and water. The students took turns adding ingredients and kneading the dough. Afterward, they used cookie cutters to shape the ornaments and painted them. We ended our week with a classroom holiday party where students decorated cookies and shared their holiday tradition Show and Tell items with each other!
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April 2021
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