School Holiday Happenings

 

The kids are all into the final stretch of school before Christmas break and they can't wait!  Despite doing well in school, I don't think any of them really like it.  Still, you've got to love the elementary school lead into Christmas.  Of course, now you can't actually say "Christmas", nor can you officially have a Christmas tree or Christmas activities (although there was one in the front entrance to the school), but bless those good natured teachers who somehow figure out a way to get around the official "no religion" decree from the District.  (Including playing Christmas music on Pandora, watching Christmas movies and giving Christmas presents.)

 

So this week was Emmy and London's school holiday concert - a production including all 6 grades (Kindergarten through 5th) and I would render a guess ALL their parents, grandparents and concerned neighbors were in the audience.  How heart warming to know that so many parents take the time and effort to see their little ones perform (in spite of, or maybe because of, last week's horrifying news in Connecticut.)

 

London is in the back row, 6th from the right.

There's Emmy second row from the top, 6th from the left (she's waving at me).

Besides the concert, Friday Emmy had pajama day and a showing of Polar Express.   Then she brought home her Hands on Art masterpiece for a present.  (The Washington schools don't have art in the schools so a nonprofit organization raises funds to bring art education into the schools.  This project was based on Gustav Klimpt's art work.  I was fortunate enough to get to help teach the class to Emmy and London's classes).

Birch trees (with a fox and hedgehog added by Emmy!)

London's class did a holiday craft: here's one to keep for posterity.  I actually got to help with this craft and was amazed at how many of the third graders thought this was the best project ever.

London's snow man

Middle school got into the celebratory mood too as Cannon had two parties on Thursday.  A "Feliz Navidad" themed party for Spanish and a celebration of the "winter solstice" in his Language Arts class.  Cannon's Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Portteus, is a real dynamo who is very high energy and spirited.  But she really develops camaraderie and friendship in her class which, I think, is a tough thing to do with a bunch of moody eighth graders.  On Wednesday she had the kids sit in a circle, put their name on a blank piece of paper and then pass the paper to the right.  That person had to write something nice about the person whose name was on the paper and then pass it on and on until all the papers went all the way around the circle.  I think this was the neatest idea and what an ego booster for these kids.  I love all the sweet things said about my kid.