Newsletter for the week of December 12th, 2008

Dear Families,
The Gingerbread Man has been keeping us on our toes this week, with mail deliveries from all over the world!
Monday, we got a delivery from Antarctica.Near the package, we found the ingredients to make reindeer food--glitter, oats, and plastic baggies. We all enjoyed shaking the baggies and watching the glitter move around the bags!. We put another dot on our map to mark this trip. We also read The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. After reading the story, we compared and contrasted this story with that of The Gingerbread Boy. We used a Venn Diagram (two large intersecting circles). In one circle we wrote everything that was unique to the Gingerbread Boy and in the other large circle everything that happened only in the Gingerbread Baby. In the area where the circles overlap, we wrote down things that happened in both stories.
Tuesday, the Gingerbread Man sent us a letter from Israel. He was there to learn about the celebration of Hanukkah. He also sent along menorahs for us to cut out and glue together. When we reached to the bottom of the package, we discovered 9 candles that we could put in the menorah I keep here at school to share with the children. We put the candles in and lit them briefly so the children could see them lit. They all “oooohed!” and “aaaahhhed!” when we did this! :) We also read several books about Hanukkah-including one called The Matzo Ball Boy! He ended up in some soup!
Wednesday, we got a delivery from Africa. .Inside the package were black sheets of paper, along with red and green strips of paper. The directions in our letter told us to weave mats just liked the ones used during Kwanzaa celebrations around the world. We put another dot on our map to mark this trip.
Thursday, while I was gone, the children looked at a Scholastic News that showed many different holiday celebrations. They talked and shared their thoughts about the holiday windows that were shown and then held them up to the light to see the celebration happening through the window.
Friday, we learned all about St. Lucia day. The package with our instructions was delivered to my house yesterday--wink, wink! I was glad that it was because inside was a bread machine mix for Cinnamon Raisin Bread. The Gingerbread Man told us about the tradition in Sweden surrounding St. Lucia Day. The oldest girl in the house would dress up wearing a white gown with a red sash and would deliver sweet treats, such as cinnamon raisin bread to her parents on St Lucia Day. She would also wear a crown made with greenery and candles, so the children make their own crowns.
The children have been doing a wonderful job helping me to write the Morning Message each day so far this year. Last month, we began, “Sharing the Pen”. The children were invited to come to the chart paper and help write the sounds that they heard in the words. This month, we have been writing our own individual Morning Messages and sharing them with the class. The children are invited to tell about something they did the previous evening or weekend. You should see their writing! It is done totally unassisted and it is amazing! Watch for those special messages to be coming home in the next few months to come!
Don’t forget that on Wednesday next week, we will be learning about Polar Animals and the North Pole, so be sure to send your child in their pajamas and make sure that they bring their regular shoes as well! We will have a fun day learning about very cold places and the animals that live there!
We also practiced a tornado drill this week--just a heads up so you know what your child might be talking about! :)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Kristen Poindexter
http://www.poindexterpress.blogspot.com
http://www.kpoindexter.wordpress.com