In December we learned about the lives of children around the world and the holidays they celebrate at this time of year such as Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Ramadan, Christmas and Kwanzaa. We also learned about giving and sharing with each other in our in class gift exchange.
We made hand print menorahs and kinaras, glitter covered popsicle stick Star of David, collage mosques, layered paper poinsettias, and holiday wish list magazine cut outs.
Thanks to my volunteer time as a Jumpstart Team Leader, my class was invited to participate in a winter holiday literacy event at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus (my Alma Mater). Jumpstart members created art activities and read Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day to the children. They were then given a set of books to take home and keep as holiday presents.
Since many of our families are underprivileged, financial constraints make it difficult to purchase toys for their children during the holidays. To ease this burden, I helped coordinate the Toys for Tots donations and I also helped with our wonderful Parent Committee's own holiday toy drive. Thankfully, every child in the center received at least two toys. We were also able to have a hilariously funny volunteer play Santa for our children. Here he is with a few of my students and my co-teacher/Parent Committe member Ms. Kelly.
We also took the children to view our mall's Christmas tree. To save parents money on holiday portraits we surprised them with pictures I had taken and printed of the children in frames they had decorated.
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Books we read for December: