1. Thanks to everyone for supporting our cooking projects today. We made chili, soup, banana bread, cornbread, punch, pizza dip, Oreo pie, and Chex mix. Everything was prepared in full, there were very few spills, and no one lost a finger. I'd say it was a definite success. Tomorrow we'll enjoy the fruits of our labor. We'll begin eating around 11:15.
2. Thank you, also, to Randy Stark for coming in to tell us about Hannakah. He shared the story behind Hannakah (which means "rededication") and told us of some of the traditions of the season. The kids also had an opportunity to play dreidel.
I have to say that one of the things that most excited me about this class, before I really knew them, was the great diversity they possess. This is not a class of kids whose grandparents all speak the same language, who all celebrate the same holidays, or who were all born in the same country. What a great opportunity this presents to use our classroom families, cultures, and traditions to help us better understand that our society is more than a single dominant culture or people. We're a mix of many who all deserve to be respected, understood, and heard. I would absolutely love to have any and all of you come in at some point if you have something to share. During the second semester we will spend some time thinking about what the word "normal" means to us and to others and how this sometimes can become the root of real conflict and inequity (both inside and outside of school). The more we know about others, the harder it becomes to define what "normal" is. This will lead us to some interesting discussions.
3. I'm going to ask the kids to leave their book bags here over the break if that is alright with you. I want them to empty their cubbies into their bags so we can clean the cubbies out and resupply them when we come back. This will provide a great chance for a fresh start. If, however, you need the book bag at home just let your child know so they can bring it back with them tomorrow afternoon.
4. Tomorrow we go to the RCPL in the morning.
5. Tomorrow is also our Gathering. It will begin at 2:20. We are set to go. The kids have written their scripts and practiced a little each day. We also have a new song to share. Well, actually it's a draft because we thought we had another two weeks of class time to finish it up. So what we'll perform with be our working draft. It's sounding pretty good and we're excited to share it.
This will most likely be my final communication until we return in January. I hope that you all have a wonderful break with your families.
Chris
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